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Rallies Planned Across Texas, U.S. To Demand Legislation Protecting Young Immigrants

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Five stories that have North Texas talking: Demonstrators to gather outside John Cornyn’s office; names of the Sutherland Springs victims released; a Dallas native’s coming back; and more.

Rallies and school walkouts are expected across the country Thursday in support of legislation to protect immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. 

Supporters in Dallas will demonstrate outside Republican Sen. John Cornyn’s offices. Demonstrators intend “to deliver a message through petitions, letters, and our voices that the 2017 DREAM Act must be passed," according to the Facebook event, hosted by Mavericks United and DFW Lideres.

School walkouts are also expected as some local campuses, The Dallas Morning News reported. Demonstrations are planned in Austin, Houston and El Paso, too, according to the Morning News. 

United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the country, is coordinating walkouts in 10 states and Washington D.C. 

The DREAM Act — Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors — was a federal proposal that offered many of the same protections as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) but was never approved in Congress. 

Since 2012, DACA has given legal protections to more than 120,000 Texans. In September, the Trump administration announced it would wind down the program unless Congress steps in to save it.

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  • Small-town tragedy: On any given Sunday, about 50 people enter First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs for worship. This week, half of them didn’t leave after being fatally shot by a gunman. The names of the 26 victims were released Wednesday. [KERA News]

 

  • Book ban: The State Board of Education has rejected a proposed Mexican-American studies textbook for the second time in the last year. That leaves teachers without any state-approved materials for Mexican-American studies courses. [The Texas Tribune]

 

  • Road closure: Both directions of Highway 75 will be closed this weekend in Richardson and Plano. Nearly two miles from south of Renner Road to 15th Street, including ramps to and from the President George Bush Turnpike, will be closed. [The Dallas Morning News]

 

  • Homecoming concert: St. Vincent’s going to play in Dallas in February. [Dallas Observer]

The High Five is KERA’s daily roundup of stories from Dallas-Fort Worth and across the state. Explore our archives here. And sign up for our weekly email for the North Texas news you need to know.