Law targets immigrant eateries

Cristobal Hinojosa of Mexicanos en Accion (pictured here) addressed a June 3 news conference called by a coalition of immigrant rights supporters in Houston outside the local office of State Representative Dwayne Bohac.

Cristobal Hinojosa speaking to reporter.

Bohac railroaded a bill through the state legislature designed to shut down mobile taco stands by imposing impossible-to-meet regulations. Among other things, the law requires restrooms for the eateries that are only kitchens on wheels.

The mobile taco stands park in immigrant neighborhoods and at work sites. They are mostly family-owned and operated. Thousands of people depend on the mobile taquerias for their livelihoods. Thousands of others, who lack cooking facilities at home or work, depend on them for their only hot meals.

A coalition which includes the Working Families Association and the International Action Center’s Committee to Defend Immigrant Workers says Bohac lied in a meeting where he gave assurances that his bill would change nothing for the mobile businesses.

They added that his office also failed to keep a promise to notify them when the bill would be debated in the legislature. There was no debate, and the measure reportedly passed in less than one minute.

Bohac’s campaign contributors include the Texas Restaurant Association.

Already more than two dozen grassroots businesses have been raided, with some receiving warning citations and others being shut down.

The coalition plans an outreach effort to progressive forces in order to mount a militant fightback to this racist legislation.

—Story and photo by Joanne Gavin