Illegal Alien Hunt On UT-Austin Campus Cancelled By Republican Conservative Student Group

Lorenzo V. Garcia

Republican conservative student group at the University of Texas-Austin campus cancelled its illegal alien hunt on campus after it sparks controversy and protests.

By H. Nelson Goodson

November 19, 2013

Austin, Texas - On Tuesday, Lorenzo V. Garcia, President of the Young Conservatives of Texas-University of Texas-Austin (YCTUTA) student group announced that they have cancelled their Wednesday's three hour "Catch An Illegal Immigrant" hunt on campus. Garcia cited that the group feared retaliation from the university administration and a safety concern for those student volunteers who wanted to participate. At least 40 students had volunteered to participate in Wednesday's event, according to Garcia.

Garcia's group had posted on their Facebook page that several Latino students would be walking around on campus with signs on saying "Illegal Immigrant" and any student who takes one of them to the YCT table at the West Mall would get a $25 gift certificate.

Some opponents of the YCT event alleged Garcia and his student conservative group were engaging in bigotry and promoting hatred on campus. Garcia on the contrary was trying to bring focus and discussions among the student campus population on today's broken immigration system, but the YCT event was created in poor taste and disregarded the backlash it would create.

Even conservative Republicans, state elected officials, university administrators and other student campus groups criticized the YCT's poor judgement to engage in type of event.