The landscape for immigrant advocacy work in the Rio Grande Valley has shifted as increased immigration enforcement has had direct effects on community organizers and the people they serve. At the heart of this story is La Unión Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), a nonprofit that supports low-income and immigrant residents. Several LUPE members have been detained or deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while many others are coping with the fallout of delayed applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which has left some unable to work legally.
One visible example is Yenniffer England, a certified nursing assistant and mother of two, who spoke from LUPE’s offices while wearing an ankle monitor. England spent months in an immigration detention center despite having been protected under DACA, and she was released by a federal judge while her case is appealed. Her experience and those of other affected members are shaping how LUPE operates and how people engage with civic life in the area.
Direct impacts on members and services
LUPE serves a membership that mixes U.S. citizens, permanent residents and undocumented people — more than 8,000 individuals in total. The organization’s president and executive director, Tania Chavez Camacho, reports that at least four members have been detained or removed by ICE, and that more than twenty members have experienced lapsed DACA protections because of processing delays. These developments have practical consequences: people whose DACA status expired often lose the right to work, and LUPE has stepped in with direct support such as cash assistance for essentials like groceries.
The ripple effects extend beyond immediate financial needs. LUPE relies on in-person organizing — information sessions, demonstrations and appearances before city and state officials — to press for policy change. But fear of police stops that could lead to immigration encounters has made many members reluctant to attend meetings and public events. That drop in participation undermines LUPE’s ability to mobilize residents, amplify local concerns and negotiate with elected leaders.
Lawmakers hear firsthand accounts
In a private roundtable, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) met with LUPE members and leadership to hear how enforcement actions are affecting the community. The session highlighted a central tension: broad political agreement on the need for border security can obscure the everyday consequences of enforcement for people living lawfully in the U.S., including DACA recipients and agricultural workers.
Padilla, who serves as a ranking member on the Senate Judiciary subcommittee that deals with immigration and border safety, acknowledged those complexities and said there must be better approaches that balance security with protections for eligible immigrants. LUPE leaders used the opportunity to call for congressional remedies and greater accountability for immigration agencies like ICE and CBP, arguing that more funding alone won’t solve the problem without policy reforms that prevent wrongful detentions and preserve work authorization for eligible people.
Individual stories as policy evidence
LUPE’s strategy is grounded in personal testimony. Leaders believe that when lawmakers hear the details — an ankle monitor tracking someone released on appeal, family members separated by deportation, or young adults left unable to work because their DACA renewal stalled — elected officials better grasp the downstream effects of enforcement practices. Chavez Camacho said those narratives represent broader patterns seen across South Texas and could inform legislative responses.
On-the-ground enforcement and coordination
Local observations point to increased enforcement in public settings, including airports, and closer coordination between state and federal agencies. Chavez Camacho described instances where collaboration between the Texas Department of Public Safety and federal immigration authorities has contributed to heightened anxiety among residents. Advocates worry routine encounters — a traffic stop for an expired license, for instance — can escalate into immigration detention even when an individual has an active immigration relief status like DACA.
England’s detention after a traffic stop illustrates that fear: advocates contend her active protections under DACA should have prevented ICE action following a minor driving violation. Instead, the episode became an example of how local enforcement and federal immigration priorities can intersect to the detriment of community trust and civic participation.
Community response and next steps
LUPE continues its outreach while adapting to the chilling effect on attendance. The organization provides emergency aid, information on legal options and encouragement for members to remain engaged. Leadership emphasizes that their ability to press for change depends on people showing up for meetings, rallies and advocacy opportunities. For now, the group seeks both immediate relief for affected members and longer-term congressional action to address the systemic causes of these disruptions.
As conversations with lawmakers continue, LUPE hopes that sustained documentation of individual experiences will translate into concrete policy shifts that protect eligible immigrants and restore confidence in community organizing across the Rio Grande Valley.
