More than two dozen people protested outside NRG Center as President Donald Trump shook hands and kissed babies of Harvey evacuees sheltered inside..
The majority of the demonstrators were “dreamers,” immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Demonstrators said they want Trump to keep the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, an executive order authorized by President Barack Obama that protects them from deportation and allows those who qualify to be able to work.
Immigrant organizations and advocates, however, fear the president is going to announce as early as Tuesday that DACA will end soon.
“Now that our city is in the aftermath of this horrible storm, this isn’t the time to put 120,000 young Texans who part of the DACA program,” Mario Salinas, one of the demonstrators, said.
On Friday, Trump said he would announce his decision about DACA and that “We love the dreamers.”
If that is the case, said Salinas, “I hope that he follows his heart. There are people in his own party telling him that protecting the dreamers is the right thing to do.”
“It’s inhumane for Donald Trump to be deliberating about our lives, especially at this moment when we are trying to rebuild and helping our communities to move forward,” said dreamer Daniel Candelaria, who was also in the demonstration.
Some estimates indicate that there are approximately 800,000 DACA beneficiaries in the U.S. that would not be able to continue working to sustain their families. United We Dream estimate that the number of DACA beneficiaries in Houston is around 80,000, and 120,000 in Texas.
“We have been helping our communities,” said Carolina Ramirez, a member of United We Dream. “We work and support many families affected by the hurricane, we are good Americans, we have dignity, and we are here to stay.”
Some dreamers at the stadium were carrying signs saying “Mess with DACA, you mess with Texas” and “We are here to stay.”
Not all the demonstrators were dreamers.
A person who identified himself as Dember, and as a member of Fair Now (fairnow.org) was carrying a sign saying “Trump + Harvey = double disaster.” He said he was there to demand that the president leave the White House. “This is a fake president. Why? Because he lost the popular vote by 3 million votes and he doesn’t even know what he is doing.”
David Mikel Smith, a protester and member of the Houston Socialist organization, believes that the president’s visit to Houston was a “photo-opp just for political gain.”
He said that “Donald Trump is not a man compassion; his whole life shows that he hates people of color, he looks down on women, he looks down on immigrants, so Trump is not really welcomed here.”
The opposition came in contrast to the enthusiasm of Trump supporters at Ellington Field Joint, where Trump arrived this afternoon.
Around 11:30 a.m., some people were inside their cars outside the airport hoping to see the arrival of the presidential plane.
“I came here to wave and salute our president for the great job he has been doing,” said Steve Sims sitting inside his truck. He said he lives close to the airport.
“We just want to see him!” said Kelli Gilliam, a 16-year-old who went to the field with her friend, Chase Lee, to see the plane from a spot about a mile from the airport. “We are super thankful that he is coming to help us,” she said.
Lee said he understood why Trump didn’t venture to Houston on his first trip to Texas.
“The fact that he is making a little trip down here to see the damage, I think it’s nice,” Lee said. “I know that with him, a lot will be accomplished.”