“Where are your parents from?”
The question came with a hostile tone, shouted by a member of the pro-illegal immigration rally as a crowd surrounded me, Carlos Turcios – Staff Writer for The Dallas Express, near the steps of the Tarrant County Courthouse on Sunday night.
Moments earlier, the event’s organizer had invited me to ask questions about the demonstration’s purpose. I asked: What were they hoping to achieve with the rally, and did they support deporting criminals?
The organizer answered, “This is to stop all the hate,” adding that she opposed deporting individuals with criminal records.
Before I could ask further questions, the crowd erupted.
Voices shouted, “Where are your parents from?” and, “C’mon, Carlos!”
Then the profanities started flying, including, “F**k you, b***h.”
The atmosphere grew tense as demonstrators, many waving Mexican flags, continued their march.
Immediately after asking if criminals should be deported (they disagree), illegal alien activists in Fort Worth took the mic away and said, “This is stolen land.” They started asking, Where are my parents from? I was not allowed to ask any more questions. @DallasExpress https://t.co/RoVnSKJMBA pic.twitter.com/gMMc6fQu0s
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) January 27, 2025
The Fort Worth rally and march had drawn a sizable crowd earlier in the day. Beginning at the Fort Worth Police & Firefighters Memorial, the activists marched through the city to the courthouse, carrying signs with slogans such as “Families Belong Together” and “Nobody is Illegal on Stolen Land.”
Notably, the crowd waved Mexican flags exclusively — no American flags were visible.
The demonstration aimed to protest the Trump administration’s mass deportation operations, which had been bolstered by a recent executive order focused on curbing illegal immigration.
Some participants voiced their support for undocumented immigrants, emphasizing their economic contributions.
Diane Symons, a former Democratic candidate for House District 97, stated, “We love them. We support them being here. They are teachers, they are doctors, they are actually some from the military.”
However, she acknowledged that individuals with criminal records should be deported, adding, “I think if you have not committed crimes, you should be fine.”
The protest also sparked sharp criticism from local Republican leaders. Tarrant County GOP activist Blake Kresses labeled the rally as evidence of “invaders” with “no loyalty or affection towards this country.”
In a post on X, Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French made an inflammatory statement aimed at the demonstrators: “We now have all your cellphone data thanks to advanced geo-fencing. I would expect ICE to come calling soon. Please tell all your criminal alien friends we are going to deport them too.”