Imagine receiving a text message on your cell phone stating that you could not go to the store because as soon as you stepped through the doors you would be arrested and taken away. Well this scenario became a reality for millions of Latinos around the United States.
In the beginning of March millions of Latinos received a text message stating that Wal-Mart was working with ICE agents to stage immigration raids in the stores. However Wal-Mart has denounced such rumors and sent out a statement saying:
“The rumors circulating via text message, and other means, about Wal-Mart coordinating or supporting immigration raids in our stores are not true. These rumors are baseless and inaccurate.”
The text messages were received in Georgia, South Carolina, and New Jersey. All of which have a high concentration of Latino immigrants. Though the text messages were seen as a hoax their implications still put fear into those in the Latino community, which make up a large portion of Wal-Mart shoppers.
Recently it was commented on the news forums of Univision.com, by a person with the initials J.A.S.G., that two days after receiving the text message he went to Wal-Mart and saw ICE agents asking everyone for their papers but this was not confirmed.
Some say that the cause of the text messages was the push by the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR) to boycott Wal-Mart stores starting March 21st to urge the corporation to support immigration reform. It is thought that it was someone from this organization who sent the text message.
No matter who sent the message I believe that it is counterproductive to the cause of immigration reform when people start to throw false accusation and cause unnecessary panic among a people who are already under the stress of waiting on the outcome of immigration reform.