4:30 p.m. update: Protesters agreed Thursday that the turnout for the "Day Without Immigrants" rally and the protest in downtown Austin to condemn the federal immigration arrests last week had proved one thing: "We're here and we're not leaving."
The crowds of several hundred that rallied outside City Hall earlier in the day had whittled down to just a couple hundred by late afternoon. Gathered outside the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, the group chanted phrases like "United Latinos will never be defeated!" and "Trump, listen, we're in the fight!" in Spanish.
Protesters appeared to represent a wide spread of countries. Some carried and draped themselves around American, Mexican, Honduran and many other Latin American countries' flags. Some wore soccer jerseys from Honduras and El Salvador, among others.
Speakers at the event denounced recent anti-immigrant sentiment and described President Donald Trump’s actions -- including plans for a border wall and the controversial ban for refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries -- as racist. Taking turns at the megaphone, protesters gave speeches about the need to protect families from being separated and touted the strength and resilience of the Latino community.
At one point, a moment of silence was held for the mothers, fathers and children separated from their families.
And on a lively note, the group bounced on the streets while jokingly chanting “The person who doesn’t jump is ICE.”
Bethany Boggess, of North Austin, said she came because she wanted to stand up for the values of the community.
"We think it's really important for people to know that Austin is a welcoming city and not a city that rejects the people that make it run," said Boggess, who went to the protest with her family and carried a banner that read “Melt ICE.”
Omar Hernandez, of South Austin, carried a sign that said "We do not want our families separated!" That's a major concern on his mind lately, he said, and the reason why he went to the rally Thursday.
Hernandez is protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (which shields certain immigrant minors from deportation and allows them to work and study in the U.S.) and said his parents worry about being separated from him. They work in landscaping and have not been going to work out of fear of deportation.
"I want the government to hear my voice," Hernandez said. "We can't leave because in this country we're purely immigrants."
His parents came to the protest as well, and his mother carried a sign with a cartoon of a pilgrim and a Native American. In the drawing, the Native American says to the pilgrim, "No green card? No visa? Sorry... But we need to see some identification."
"We come here to work peacefully," she said. "We didn't come to steal work."
As the crowd walked from the federal building to City Hall, one pro-Trump man on the street shouted at protesters, "They came here illegally!" and "Trump!" Police officers on bike stood by cautiously, warning the man to keep his distance.
A woman held her coat in front of him to block him from view. Another woman encouraged protesters to ignore him: "Keep walking!"
3:20 p.m. update: Dozens of protesters that assembled at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building in downtown Austin on Thursday have begun converging with the crowd that marched for a "Day Without Immigrants" rally at City Hall.
The people that gathered at the Pickle Building included families affected by recent arrests made by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
12:55 p.m. update: Hundreds of protesters who gathered in downtown Austin on Thursday to mark a "Day Without Immigrants" have left the Texas Capitol and are retracing their route down Congress Avenue back to Austin City Hall.
Austin police officers have been patrolling alongside the peaceful demonstration to ensure the safety of the marchers as the size of the crowd has forced the closure of a few lanes of traffic.
11:55 a.m. update: More than 240 protesters are marching from Austin City Hall toward the Texas Capitol to show their solidarity with the area's immigrant community.
Spectators on Thursday lined Congress Avenue in downtown, cheering the passing throngs.
The only trouble at the peaceful demonstration so far happened when Austin police detained a man after some in the crowd of marchers heard him say “there was going to be a shooting.”
The crowd could be heard chanting, "Say it loud. Say it clear. Immigrants are welcome here."
The protest on the Texas Capitol grounds brought a party atmosphere, with some dancing to blaring cumbia music.
10:15 a.m. update: On a day when social activists have encouraged Austin-area immigrants to stay home and show their power in numbers, teachers across Central Texas are reporting an uptick in student absences, particularly in schools with large numbers of Latino students.
In Austin and Manor, several teachers on Thursday morning are reporting just a handful of students attending some classes.
Credit: Deborah Cannon
Credit: Deborah Cannon
At one school, a staff member said classes are being combined because attendance is so low, with as few as five students in a couple of them. Middle and high school classes with typically 30 or so students have about half of the students in them, and one teacher said 22 students didn’t show to class.
At Eastside Memorial, one teacher said only five of the 25 students in a first period class were in attendance.
Most teachers at Eastside Memorial are seeing less than half of their students in class today, one employee said. Teachers also have been asked to take accurate attendance so the cafeteria staff doesn’t prep too much food for lunch.
- At Hart Elementary, teachers are reporting having only half of the students on campus. There are as few as two or three students in some classrooms.
- More than 400 students were absent at Pickle Elementary in Austin. About 92 percent of the 637 students who attend Pickle are Latino.
- 40% of students across KIPP Austin, a charter operator that serves largely low income and minority students, were absent. "We respect the choice of our families and students to participate in today's national day of protest, and we look forward to welcoming our students back to school tomorrow," said Steven Epstein, Executive Director of KIPP Austin.
Campus principals in Manor spoke to students and parents this week about the importance of coming to school, the district spokesman said.
Some secondary teachers said some of their older students told them they’d be out in support of classmates or family members who are undocumented immigrants.
In the Del Valle school district, more than 36 percent of students were absent Thursday.
Nearly 58 percent of students were in attendance, while last week had an average of about 94 percent.
Hays school district had an attendance of 82.25 percent Thursday, compared with 95.09 percent the day before and 94.63 percent on Feb. 16 last year, said district spokesman Tim Savoy.
The situation among Central Texas colleges and universities was less certain.
Texas State University spokesman Matt Flores says officials there aren’t aware of any protests or walkouts. As for absences, he said that might take a while to ascertain.
A University of Texas spokeswoman says it appears to be a normal day on campus in every way thus far.
St. Edward’s University did not immediately respond when asked about the matter.
In recent days, some immigrant parents withheld their children from Austin district schools out of fear that they, their children or family members may be detained by immigration officials after hearing last week that an enforcement operation has been underway in Austin.
Earlier: Members of Austin's immigrant community are shutting down their businesses, stepping away from their jobs and refusing to patronize stores and restaurants on Thursday to highlight their roles in the United States.
More than 20 local restaurants have confirmed they will shut down on Thursday in solidarity with the community, and others, including Torchy’s Tacos on South Lamar Boulevard, announced closures because of low staffing levels.
RELATED: Here’s a list of restaurants that will be closed
More than 500 people have also signed up to attend a peaceful protest at the Austin City Hall at 10 a.m.
"If your parents are undocumented please do not be afraid to protest for them, not by adding violence, but by speaking up for ourselves and our family," organizers wrote in an event page on Facebook. "Come out and support your people and stand for what you believe in. Our voices have to be heard, anyone who wants to stand in solidarity with your fellow immigrant brothers and sisters are welcome to attend as well!!!!!"
Similar protests are planned Thursday across the country in cities including Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago.
The protest comes on the heels of a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement effort to detain undocumented immigrants in Austin and several other cities. While authorities have said they focused on picking up “criminal aliens,” detentions sparked widespread outrage and fear.
Mayor Steve Adler on Valentine’s Day had voiced his support for Thursday’s day of protest.
“This is a country of immigrants and a city of immigrants, and I love it when we stick up for each other here,” Adler told the American-Statesman.
