Holidays Mean Anti-Immigrant Nuttery

The Houston Chronicle reports some Houston organizations are checking children’s immigration status as part of their toy drives. The Salvation Army and Outreach Program Inc. defend their actions as “doing the right thing,” but it is ghastly to think a needy child would not get a toy because they may be undocumented.

Or are these organizations thinking the best Christmas present for a kid is to try getting their parents deported?

Surprising immigration news, but not unexpected for Texas.

Matthew Yglesias of Think Progress criticizes the Salvation Army and Outreach Program Inc. for their practices. They seem to be targeting immigrants for discrimination, but don’t check for other issues, from criminal warrants to prison records. “What if they’d, I dunno, broken into people’s homes and stolen jewelry and now they’re in jail,” he writes. “Is the Salvation Army going to say that their kids shouldn’t have toys to play with? What sense does that make?”

“What’s shocking and hypocritical is that the Salvation Army does not check immigration status when leaving leaflets door-to-door asking for charity,” Prerna Lal writes about the immigration toy drive controversy.

The groups in question are on the defensive and now deny they check immigration status of children during toy drives. The Salvation Army Greater Houston Area put on the front page of its website that it “does not discriminate against the immigration status of children or their parents registering for Christmas assistance through the Angel Tree Program.” However, statements that they do not “intend” to discriminate sound like a backtrack of their first comments.

Also of note is Outreach Program founder Lorugene Young defending such checks as wanting to ensure parents are citizens, legal immigrants or working to become legal residents. And if Lougene Young and the organization wish to deny toys to children, that’s their choice, obviously, but the Houston Fire Department working with such individuals seems like an endorsement.

POSTSCRIPT: Here’s the venerable BoingBoing’s report on Houston immigration madness.

STILL MORE: The excellent journalist Melissa del Bosque writes about the anti-immigrant backlash and the economic downturn. Thanks to Nezua for the spot.

UPDATE: Victory! Salvation Army and company announce they’re dropping immigration checks.