Immigrants, activists rally outside Laxalt’s office to protest immigration suit

By Ana Ley

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015 | 4:45 p.m.

About two dozen activists rallied outside the downtown Las Vegas office of Attorney General Adam Laxalt this afternoon to protest his challenge to a deportation deferral program that would protect tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in Nevada.

"This was the first significant action that the attorney general took after taking office, and what does he do? Protect consumers? Target polluting corporations? No — he goes after some of the most vulnerable and least protected people in the state," said Bob Fulkerson, director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. "We want to tell him we're angry."

PLAN, Progress Now Nevada, and Mi Familia Vota said they want Laxalt to reverse his decision to join a Texas-led lawsuit against an executive action that protects undocumented immigrants with children living in the country legally. President Barack Obama's action, which he announced during a trip to Las Vegas in November, also expands a 2012 program granting relief for people who entered the country illegally as children.

"(Laxalt) crossed the line," said Dulce Valencia, 19. Both she and her parents qualify for relief under the newly announced immigration plan. "He's treating us like we should stay hidden, we should stay in the shadows. We shouldn't have to."

The groups drafted a mock "deportation notice" that Fulkerson handed to a receptionist outside Laxalt's office who told them the attorney general wasn't in.

Laxalt on Monday announced that Nevada would be joining the suit to drive home the message that the solution to fixing the country's immigration system "must be a permanent, legal result that includes, not ignores, the other branches of government and their constitutional roles."

Gov. Brian Sandoval distanced himself from the decision and has not signed off on Nevada joining the lawsuit, but has not said whether he can or will override Laxalt's move.

"We urge (Sandoval) to do something about this," said Guadalupe Arreola, 50, who has been living illegally in the country for 25 years and won't benefit from the deferral programs but has friends and relatives who will. "Laxalt has done this without thinking about us."