What The Swift Response To Texas’ ‘Catch An Illegal Immigrant’ Game Tells Us

What The Swift Response To Texas’ ‘Catch An Illegal Immigrant’ Game Tells Us About The Reform Movement

On Wednesday, actress America Ferrera led a solidarity march with hundreds of pro-immigration activist groups at the University of Texas at Austin to to protest against a scheduled game called “Catch an illegal immigrant” which prompted heavy criticism. The event’s organizers — the Young Conservative of Texas chapter at UT Austin (or YCT) — soon cancelled the event following public outcry and harsh words from school officials. Just a few years ago, universities who initiated the game provoked much less reaction. And escalated outrage at UT Austin reflects changing attitudes about undocumented immigrants.

The concept of the “Catch an illegal immigrant” game is for people to find a person on campus wearing a shirt that reads “illegal immigrant.” After seeking the person out, “winners” can claim a $25 gift card from the YCT. Like many others, Ferrera, a member of the pro-immigration group Voto Latino, said that she found that the game “was disguised as an attempt to have an honest debate about immigration reform … DREAMers aren’t drug haulers. They are scholars, hard workers, and American in EVERY way that I am American.”

The fact that the event caught Ferrera’s attention so quickly shows the progress made in changing the public perception of undocumented immigrants since the game first took place in 2005 at the University of North Texas. At that event, about 40 students showed up to oppose the event. The group’s adviser, Dr. Steve Forde said that he hadn’t been consulted, but that “he would have been out of line to tell them not to do it anyway.” Between 2006 and 2007, the game took place at the Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, New York University, and the University of Iowa. NYU’s President John Sexton only issued a critical statement after the game took place. He said, “we rejected the calls … asking us to prevent the College Republicans’ event from going forward on campus. They held their event, and others who objected to their ‘game’ came together to protest it, and each side had the opportunity to make their views well known publicly.”

Read more here: http://thinkprogress.org/immigration...nt-game-tells/

Lorenzo garcia is a tiny dink phaggot who gets hard at the thought of catching an illegal immigrant yet will not dare confront a day laborer.

I have a better game to play- it's called "To catch a GOP congressman snorting cocaine or getting his children raised by a home keeper"

His parents must upset extra proud of him

I have a better game to propose: how to catch a speeder. Not having immigration papers is a civil offense, just like speeding is (up to a point). Let's raise a discussion on the value of having citizens arrest speeders. This should clearly point out the pettiness and absurdity of the game.