Texas Student Group Cancels ‘Catch An Illegal Immigrant’ Event

FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 file photo, students walk through the University of Texas at Austin campus in Austin, Texas. This giant flagship campus - once slow to integrate - is now among the most diverse... FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012 file photo, students walk through the University of Texas at Austin campus in Austin, Texas. This giant flagship campus - once slow to integrate - is now among the most diverse the country. A decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court essentially sided with race in that argument, upholding the right of colleges to make limited use of racial preferences in admitting students. But in a ruling due in June 2013, the Court is widely expected to roll back that ruling. Such an outcome would shift the focus more toward giving a boost to socio-economically disadvantaged students, regardless of race. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The University of Texas Austin chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas canceled a controversial “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” event after school officials and students criticized the event, ABC Austin affiliate KVUE reported Tuesday.

Lorenzo Garcia, chairman of the group, said that he and other group members were worried about opposition from the university and students.

“After the University President and the Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement released statements denouncing the event we planned as violating the university’s honor code, I spoke with our chapter’s members, and they are both concerned that the university will retaliate against them and that the protest against the event could create a safety issue for our volunteers,” said in a statement obtained by CBS News Houston.

The event, originally planned for Wednesday, would have featured students walking around campus in T-shirts labeled “illegal immigrant.” Students would receive a gift card if they caught the “illegal immigrants” and brought them to the Young Conservatives of Texas on campus.

Garcia apologized for planning to use gift cards at the event.

“I acknowledge that the decision to include issuing $25 gift cards during the event was misguided and that the idea for the event was intentionally over-the-top in order to get attention for the subject,” he said in the statement.

Garcia used to work for Texas Attorney General and GOP gubernatiorial candidate Greg Abbot, leading to Democratic criticism of the attorney general.

Abbot’s office told CBS News that his “campaign has no affiliation with this repugnant effort.”

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: