Austin man fighting for his life takes sanctuary in local church to stop his deportation to El Salvador

WHAT: Alirio Gámez and the Austin Sanctuary Network announce their campaign

WHO: Alirio Gámez, members of the Austin Sanctuary Network, Rep. Eddie Rodriguez's office, Austin-area faith leaders (including 15 ministers), and other local community leaders

WHEN: Tuesday, September 5 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: The Sanctuary of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin at 4700 Grover Ave. in North Austin

(AUSTIN, Texas) — Austin-area community leaders are standing up against mass deportation in their city by joining Alirio Gámez in a fight for his life.

The Austin Sanctuary Network will stand beside Alirio on Tuesday morning to announce that together they won’t stop fighting until federal immigration authorities use their discretion to put a stop to his deportation.

Alirio lived a prosperous and happy life in El Salvador until the violence inflicted on Central America came to threaten his life. He escaped to the U.S. seeking safety from violence and death at home.

# # #

The Austin Sanctuary Network is a multi-faith coalition of congregations in and around Austin that have been invited to join the larger immigrant rights struggle. Together with those at risk of deportation and their families and allies, we are seeking justice and dignity by opening our doors to provide sanctuary as a tool to achieve those goals.

Grassroots Leadership is an Austin, Texas-based national organization that works for a more just society where prison profiteering, mass incarceration, deportation and criminalization are things of the past.