A sign in Spanish at the immigration protest on Saturday: "That privilege doesn't cloud your empathy." Another sign reads: "Stop pretending your racism is patriotism." (Raquel Villatoro/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Tyler resident Fannie Salazar, 22, came out to an immigration protest at the downtown Tyler square on Saturday afternoon because she wanted to help share a message.

Organizers encouraged participants to “Bring flags, signs, speakers, sound makers and a positive attitude.”

“Show up and show out for those who can’t,” a Facebook event invite read.

About 24 people gathered at the square to protest the President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Red ‘Know Your Rights’ cards were available to inform people of their rights.

As the daughter of immigrants, Salazar has seen the fear increased enforcement under the Trump administration has caused among her community. She worries about kids after hearing of a Texas girl whose parents say she died by suicide due to bullying from peers about her parents’ immigration status.

“That’s not just affecting us as adults, it’s affecting our children,” Salazar said. “How are we supposed to want the kids to get an education to do better if they’re in constant fear that they’re gonna be sending someone they don’t know.”

As protesters waved their flags and signs, cars passing by honked and protestors cheered. A truck with a Mexican flag passed by multiple times. Signs included messages in Spanish and English such as “Immigrants are the heart of this country” and “My grandparents fought for my future, now I will fight for theirs.”

For first-time organizer Margarita Lozano, 21, the presidential inauguration inspired her to organize a protest. She saw Longview and Dallas had organized protests. After talking to her sisters, she decided to organize one in Tyler. Planning for the protest took three weeks. In the future, Lozano hopes to organize another protest.

“We wanna be heard. We want people to see us, to hear us,” Lozano said.

Lozano, who was born and raised in Tyler, is proud of her Mexican roots. Due to her privilege of being a citizen, she felt it was important to show up for those who can not come out and protest against the immigration policies because they are hurting people.

“It hurts me seeing our people being deported, being separated from their families,” Lozano said.

Whitehouse resident Kristen Hardin-Sigler, 29, set up a table with Know Your Rights cards and information on how to write to United States Texas Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and U.S. First Congressional District Rep. Nathaniel Moran. Sigler-Hardin is a Democratic Club of Smith County Chair Precinct 30.

Hardin-Sigler came out to the protest because she wanted people to know there are people in East Texas who care. In her activism, she aims to use her privilege to advocate for marginalized communities. Although she was adopted, she is proud of her Hispanic roots.

“I actively wanna work against the current rhetoric and being bothered and being … the scourge that this administration basically wants to wipe off the planet,” Hardin-Sigler said. “I don’t wanna be scared. I don’t wanna cower in fear. I want people to know, even in East Texas, there are people here.”

Tyler resident Sergio Jimenez, 38, came out to the protest with Mexican and Palestinian flags. He wanted to support the protest because he is Mexican and it affects his community. He brought the Palestinian flag because he felt their history was relevant to the current realities immigrant communities face.

The protest was mostly peaceful. While protestors waved their flags and signs, one man shouted “Go America” as he drove past the square. Another car drove by shouting La Raza — a common expression used to refer to Mexicans.

“We’re not gonna be unheard. We’re not gonna be pushed around … I’m very passionate about this because our ancestors, the Aztecs … they did not go without a fight and neither will we,” a UT Tyler student said.

Tyler resident and retired teacher Michael Cooper, 65, came to the protest because he feels frustrated with the Trump administration and wanted to do something. He almost cried seeing the young people organizing the protest.

“Because ignorance is what’s got us here,” Cooper said.

He believes immigration laws need to be changed. During the protest, he held up a sign that read: “No one is illegal.”

“Not only is it immoral, it’s not good economics. It doesn’t make any sense. We need these workers. We need these people. We’re a land of immigrants,” Cooper said.