Texas Immigration Advocacy Group Hit Hard as Members Face Detention, DACA Lapses
Why It Matters
In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, heightened federal immigration enforcement is straining the operations of a prominent community nonprofit, La Union Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE), whose membership spans U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, and illegal immigrants. The group’s ability to mobilize its community on local and state policy is being tested as members face detention, deportation, and the expiration of DACA protections.
What Happened
Yenniffer England, a certified nursing assistant and mother of two, recently appeared at LUPE’s offices in San Juan wearing an ankle monitor — a visible reminder of the three months she spent in an immigration detention facility. England is a recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy shielding immigrants who entered the country as children from deportation while granting them work authorization.
England was originally detained in February after a traffic stop in which she was found to be driving with an expired license. Her attorneys contend the incident should have resulted in nothing more than a standard traffic citation, given her active DACA status at the time. A federal judge ordered her release last week, though she remains on monitored supervision while her case proceeds through appeal.
England’s situation is not isolated. LUPE President and Executive Director Tania Chavez Camacho said four members of the organization have been detained or deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since the Trump administration intensified immigration enforcement efforts. More than 20 additional LUPE members have seen their DACA status lapse due to application processing backlogs, leaving them without valid work permits.
By the Numbers
- 8,000+ — Total LUPE membership, including citizens, legal residents, and undocumented individuals
- 4 — LUPE members detained or deported by ICE
- 20+ — Members whose DACA status has lapsed due to processing delays
- 3 months — Length of England’s detention before a federal judge ordered her release
- Hundreds — DACA recipients arrested nationally since President Trump returned to office in January 2025
Community Participation Declining
Beyond the direct enforcement actions, Chavez Camacho said the broader atmosphere of fear is reducing community turnout at LUPE’s events, rallies, and informational sessions. The group relies on member participation to engage city councils, the state legislature, and other policymakers on issues affecting low-income and immigrant communities across South Texas.
“We continue to do the work, but we can only continue to do the work if the community continues to show up,” Chavez Camacho said. She also cited increased collaboration between the Texas Department of Public Safety and federal immigration authorities as a factor driving anxiety among residents.
For members whose DACA work permits are no longer valid, LUPE is providing cash assistance to cover basic grocery expenses while they are legally unable to work.
Federal Lawmaker Visits
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety, met with affected LUPE members in a closed-door roundtable to hear firsthand accounts of the enforcement’s impact. Padilla acknowledged broad public support for a secure border while noting that the effects on lawfully present immigrants — including DACA holders and agricultural workers — often receive less attention in the national debate.
“There has to be a better way,” Padilla said.
Chavez Camacho called for congressional action to provide relief from deportation for DACA recipients and other immigrant groups, arguing that additional funding for the Department of Homeland Security is not the answer. “What we need is solutions and congressional action,” she said.
What’s Next
England’s case continues in federal court as she appeals her detention. LUPE says it will continue advocacy efforts and lawmaker engagement, though organizers acknowledge the challenge of sustaining that work if community members remain reluctant to participate in public activities. The broader question of DACA’s legal future remains unresolved at the federal level, with hundreds of recipients now facing enforcement actions that the program was originally designed to prevent.
For more on Texas political developments, see our recent coverage of Republican fundraising challenges following Ken Paxton’s primary win and the redistricting-driven Democratic runoff contest in Dallas.