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TOP on Trump attacking cashless bail: “Texans need investments in justice, not mass incarceration”

August 25, 2025

The following statement is from Laquita Garcia, Statewide Right2Justice Policy Coordinator with the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to President Trump signing an executive order seeking to end cashless bail:

“Texans need investments in justice, not mass incarceration.

“Donald Trump’s out-of-touch approach to bail and public safety is a waste of taxpayer money that upholds a two-tiered justice system — one for the wealthy and well-connected like him, and another for everyone else. Trump’s approach won’t make Texas safer.

“Thousands sit locked up in Texas jails only because they can’t afford bail — not because they pose a public safety risk. Studies continue to show that the majority of those in jail in our state have not been convicted of a crime; these Texans simply can’t buy their freedom.

“Trump’s executive order attacks pre-trial justice, expanding the harmful use of money bail and pre-trial detention, which disproportionately hurts everyday working-class Black and Latino Texans.

“The question we should really be asking ourselves is how we create a system that humanely addresses root causes of crime, while protecting the constitutional rights of all Texans — no matter one’s race, age, income, or ZIP Code. That means investing in mental health care, addressing poverty, and offering tangible life-changing opportunities for impacted community members.”

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About Texas Organizing Project:

Texas Organizing Project (TOP) organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

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Texas Organizing Project: This Is White Supremacy at Work—Not a Flaw, but the System Working as Designed

August 20, 2025

Republican leaders ram through gerrymandered maps, proving once again that the system is doing exactly what it was built to do: protect white political power and erase Black and Latino Texans from decision-making.

Texas Organizing Project (TOP) is calling out Republican leaders in the Legislature for doing exactly what the system was built to do: using gerrymandered maps to strip Black and Latino Texans of political power. This is not a glitch; it is white supremacy operating as designed.

“Let’s be clear, this isn’t some accident or misstep. This is how white supremacy is supposed to work,” said Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of TOP. “These maps are a deliberate tool to keep Black and Latino Texans out of power. They’re not broken, they’re working exactly as intended.”

Black and Latino Texans account for nearly all of the state’s population growth over the past decade, yet Republican-drawn maps do not reflect this reality.

“When you see Republicans drawing maps to erase Black and Latino communities, don’t call it a failure, call it what it is: White supremacy doing exactly what it’s supposed to do,” Brown said. “They want us silent and invisible. But we know what’s going on, and we’re not going anywhere. We’ve survived worse, and we’re not shutting up or backing down now.”

TOP stressed that fair maps for all, regardless of Texans’ race, age, faith, gender, or income, are essential to ensuring representation on health care, housing, education, and other everyday issues that impact our lives.

“Politicians should not be picking their voters,” Brown said. “Our communities will continue to organize, mobilize, and demand fair representation; in the courts, in the streets, and at the ballot box. The power of Black and Latino Texans will not be erased.”

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Texas Organizing Project: Free Rep. Collier

August 18, 2025

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP):

“Republican leaders are targeting a Black woman legislator, Rep. Nicole Collier, because she refuses to play along with their discriminatory power grab. Forcing her to accept a police escort to leave the chamber is about intimidation, surveillance, and silencing — and Black communities across Texas know exactly what that looks like.

“These redistricting maps were designed to strip Black and Latino voters of their political voice. Now Republicans are using the same heavy-handed tactics, recycled from segregationists’ playbook, against a Black elected official who dared to resist. Black leaders shouldn’t be treated like political prisoners. Police escorts for elected officials = surveillance and intimidation. #FreeRepCollier

“TOP stands with Rep. Collier. We refuse to accept attacks on Black communities, their leaders, and their right to fair representation. We will keep organizing until every Texan has a real voice in our democracy. #ProtectBlackVoices”

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About Texas Organizing Project:
Texas Organizing Project (TOP) organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

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Local advocates, community groups celebrate securing$100 million for housing in Houston’s disaster recovery plan

August 13, 2025

Houston City Council today voted to submit Mayor Whitmire’s disaster recovery plan for 2024’s Hurricane Beryl and the Derecho to the federal government. The following statements in reaction to the vote are from local housing advocates and community organizations who played a key role in securing $100 million dedicated to housing in this disaster recovery plan.

Synnachia McQueen, Houston resident and TOP Harris County member:

“As a longtime leader with TOP, I care deeply about the long-term recovery and resilience of our communities. It was intensive community organizing from TOP and our Houston housing justice allies West Street Recovery, Texas Housers, Texas Appleseed, Northeast Action Collective, Union of Concerned Scientists and the Coalition for the Environment, Equity and Resilience, that made this $100 million allocated for housing repairs possible in the City’s final disaster recovery funding plan.

“Houston residents loudly and consistently spoke up on this matter, reminding our city elected leaders that we as community members wouldn’t accept zero dollars allocated toward housing that was in the initial disaster recovery plan. It was truly grassroots organizing and Council champions that secured this $100 million win.

“Directly-impacted Houstonians like myself will continue to have our voices heard to ensure accountability and transparency on how these now-passed disaster recovery funding dollars will be spent.”

Julia Orduña, southeast Texas regional director, Texas Housers:

“Disaster Recovery funds were allocated directly to the City of Houston to respond to the community’s inability to recover. When the Action Plan was released, we saw the gap in the recovery process and programs to be administered, we participated in the public engagement process, and the government responded to the community’s concern.

“We hear about roofs still tarped and elevators still broken at senior facilities. That $100 million will truly support needs across single-family and multi-family housing that have not attained stability post-disaster.”

Stephany Valdez, Water Justice Organizer, Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience:

“Houstonians made it clear: we deserve more disaster recovery dollars.

“The original plan allocated $0 for housing despite tremendous need. Houstonians—-our neighbors, organizers, and advocates—fought until $100 million was secured for housing and home repairs.

“The Coalition for the Environment, Equity and Resilience will keep standing with communities to make sure every dollar delivers real repairs, restores dignity, and builds a safer future for us all.”

Madison Sloan, Disaster Recovery and Fair Housing Project Director, Texas Appleseed:

“These are critical resources for housing recovery in Houston – particularly now, when federal funding for both housing and disaster recovery are under threat. Texas Appleseed is proud to support the families and communities who fought for what they need to recover and to mitigate the impact of the next disaster.”

Zoe Middleton, Associate Director for Just Climate Resilience, Union of Concerned Scientists:

“Zero dollars spent on housing was always unacceptable and the proposed $50 million was always insufficient. Repairing, preserving, and creating resilient affordable housing is a non-negotiable in disaster recovery. As Houstonians face increasingly extreme weather, a fickle insurance market and an affordable housing shortage, this hard won $100 million in housing funding will throw storm survivors a lifeline.”

Doris Brown, NAC organizer and disaster survivor:

“This victory shows the power of community, the power of a clear vision and the power of never giving up. In a city hammered time and again by disasters, the Mayor’s initial plan was an insult to survivors. We are glad that he changed his mind and grateful to the council members who saw the need for housing investment. As the federal government steps away from helping communities, cuts FEMA and threatens HUD there really was no other chance, and this was a win for all of us.”

Regina Johnson, NAC organizer:

“As the proverb says, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We stick together and we grow together!”

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Three Years After Dobbs Overturned Roe, Texas Leaders Condemn Deadly Toll of Abortion Ban & Health Crisis

June 24, 2025

Sepsis. Delays. Death. Black women like Porsha Ngumezi are dying in the state ranked worst in the nation for health care access.

Three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, clearing the way for Texas’s total abortion ban, the consequences are no longer theoretical; they are fatal. Porsha Ngumezi, Josseli Barnica, and Nevaeh Crain died of sepsis after suffering delays in care while experiencing pregnancy loss. Their stories are part of a documented rise in maternal deaths and life-threatening infections that accelerated after Texas fully implemented its abortion ban following the Dobbs decision, as exposed in a landmark 2025 investigation by ProPublica.

Just this month, a new report from the Commonwealth Fund ranks Texas worst in the nation for health care access and affordability. The crisis is hitting Black and Latino Texans hardest, from skyrocketing uninsured rates to avoidable deaths from delayed care.

Shellie Hayes-McMahon, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Texas Votes, said:

“This is what state-sanctioned neglect looks like. Women like Porsha, Josseli, and Nevaeh didn’t die because of rare conditions, they died because lawmakers criminalized standard medical care and created a culture of fear inside hospitals.

The Dobbs decision gave Texas the green light to enforce its total abortion ban. What followed was a spike in sepsis and a rise in maternal deaths. We are now seeing the results: more maternal deaths, more preventable suffering, and a health system collapsing under political extremism.

Texas can’t afford another year of this, much less another life lost. PPTV will make sure Texans remember who put these cruel policies in place—at the ballot box and beyond. This ban won’t go unchecked.”

Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project, added:

“What’s happening in Texas isn’t an accident, it’s a strategy. A strategy to control our bodies, silence our voices, and abandon our communities. Black and Latino Texans are dying because politicians would rather score points than protect people.

But we are not standing by. We are knocking doors, testifying, voting, and organizing until we have a state that values our lives, not just our labor or our pain. Texas belongs to the people, and we’re fighting like it.”

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The Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. Learn more at organizetexas.org.

Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (PPTV) is the nonpartisan policy, advocacy and political arm for the Planned Parenthood affiliates in Texas.

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Houston community groups demand increased spending on housing in federal disaster recovery package as Whitmire welcomes HUD Secretary

June 23, 2025

Texas Organizing Project (TOP), West Street Recovery, Texas Housers, Northeast Action Collaborative (NAC), and the Coalition for the Environment, Equity and Resilience (CEER) are demanding that Mayor Whitmire and council members increase the allocation for housing in the City’s Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds.

The community groups are calling for a total housing investment of at least $115 million in the $314.6 million relief funds package, claiming Mayor Whitmire’s recent $50 million allocation is inadequate. This demand comes as Mayor Whitmire welcomes HUD Secretary Turner while the Trump administration angles to slash housing investments and upends disaster forecasting and response through his attacks on FEMA and NOAA.

Houston’s housing crisis is made worse by increasingly extreme weather. Tens of thousands of Houston families are still living with damage from Hurricane Beryl and the 2024 derecho, with several facing leaking roofs, structural hazards, and mold. For many, the next severe storm could bring even more destruction — because repairs and weatherization haven’t happened.

The community groups urged the Whitmire administration to allocate funding for housing in its initial disaster recovery proposal, where $0 in funding was dedicated to housing at the start.

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About Texas Organizing Project:

TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

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Texas Organizing Project Condemns Tarrant County Redistricting as Racial Gerrymandering

June 4, 2025

FORT WORTH, TX — What happened yesterday in Tarrant County was nothing short of a power grab. With a 3-2 vote, the Commissioners Court approved a redistricting map that strips Black and Latino communities in Precinct 2 of their voice and their power.

This mid-decade redraw, with no new census data and no public mandate, is a calculated act of racial gerrymandering. It tears apart neighborhoods that have consistently come together to elect candidates who reflect their values. It carves out economic hubs like Globe Life Field and downtown Fort Worth, gutting the heart of our political and economic strength.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just partisan politics, it’s systemic racism doing what it always has. But we see it, we name it, and we’ll fight back.

Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare has openly admitted in the past that this redistricting is about securing Republican control, stating, “The mission is to get three Republican commissioners” on the court. This confession lays bare the true intent: to dilute the voting power of communities of color for partisan gain.

This isn’t just unethical; it’s illegal. The Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment were created to stop exactly this kind of racial discrimination. We won’t sit back while our communities are carved up and silenced.

We are fighting back.

“This map is an insult to the voters of Precinct 2. It’s a deliberate attempt to dilute the voices of Black and Latino communities who have fought hard to be heard. We will not be erased. I stand with our residents, with our movement, and with every legal and moral tool we have to fight this injustice.” — Commissioner Alisa Simmons, Tarrant County Precinct 2

The Texas Organizing Project stands in unwavering solidarity with Commissioner Alisa Simmons, Congressman Marc Veasey, and the hundreds of Tarrant County residents who’ve raised their voices against this injustice.

“When they silence our voices at the ballot box, they’re trying to silence our dignity, our demands, and our dreams,” said Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project. “This is a direct assault on the political power of Black and Latino communities who have fought too long and too hard to be pushed aside. But let me be clear, we are not going anywhere. Our fight for justice, fairness, and representation will continue with more resolve and more unity than ever before.”

This fight is far from over.

Our communities are resilient, and our movement is growing. We will not be deterred by racist tactics or political games. We will continue to fight for fair representation, for our voices to be heard, and for a Texas that truly represents all its people.

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About Texas Organizing Project:
TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

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TOP statement on the signing of Texas school voucher bill SB2

May 3, 2025

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signing into law SB2, school voucher legislation that would divert public funds away from public schools:

“Greg Abbott’s school voucher scam isn’t about improving student outcomes; it’s about lining the pockets of his campaign donors and dismantling public education in our state.

“Abbott’s billionaire buddy Jeff Yass bankrolled this legislative scheme at the expense of Texas kids, parents, and teachers.

“Speaking as a mother who sends her kids to public schools, SB2’s passage once more proves our governor will always carry water for his wealthy backers before ever passing meaningful policy to benefit working Texans families.

“Are we surprised? Of course not. Are we infuriated? Absolutely.

“Texas taxpayer dollars should go to PUBLIC schools and institutions – NOT private and parochial schools.”

Dr. Doshie Piper, TOP Board Co-President, added:

“Abbott couldn’t care less about the unpopularity of his school voucher scam. His crusade for years, our governor spent millions bullying Texas GOP legislators into submission to pass it.

“Under the guise of ‘school choice’ – which Texas already has – Abbott pushed vouchers like a snake oil salesman, casting them as a magic elixir to help students and families.

“In reality, he sold the public a slick, right-wing think-tank repackaging of what school vouchers were proposed decades ago for – to perpetuate racial and economic segregation in our schools.

“Working with pro-public education allies, TOP stands ready to make sure Abbott and lawmakers who supported his scam hear from us at the ballot box and feel the political consequences of their cowardice.”

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TOP: “Gov. Abbott and Texas Republicans’ extreme anti-abortion laws are killing everyday Texans”

October 30, 2024

The following statement is from Michelle Tremillo, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in reaction to ProPublica’s reporting on Texas woman Josseli Barnica dying after a miscarriage, shedding more light on the fatal, real-world consequences of anti-abortion laws in our state:

“Gov. Abbott and Texas Republicans’ extreme anti-abortion laws are killing everyday Texans.

“Words alone cannot fully convey how devastating and infuriating it is to learn of the preventable death of Josseli Barnica, a 28-year-old Latina living in Houston.

“This tragedy further puts into focus Republicans’ vicious war against our reproductive freedoms. Their dismantling of Roe v. Wade and embrace of white supremacy are not coincidental; they’re intrinsically linked. Punitive restrictions on abortion already disproportionately impact communities of color as a result of systemic racism – most notably Black and Latino.

“The Texas GOP is desperate to control every aspect of Texans’ lives – from our bodily autonomy to our ability to vote. One thing’s for sure: This election, TOP is fighting for a future where ALL Texans — no matter their age, race, faith, gender, or preferred language — have their fundamental rights upheld.”

Dr. Doshie Piper, TOP Board Co-President, added:

“Learning of Josseli’s heart-wrenching passing only reaffirms our commitment to fighting back against the criminalization of abortion and bodily autonomy in our state. It’s critical to remember that even before the fall of Roe, Texas Republicans enacted a six-week abortion ban, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

“In 2019, about 70% of abortions in Texas were obtained by women of color, highlighting how access to abortion is undoubtedly an issue that matters to Black and Latino communities.

“At TOP, we are unapologetic about the core of our fights fundamentally being about the pursuit of racial justice. The fight for healthcare broadly and abortion access specifically IS a fight for racial justice.

“We as Texans know our worth, and no matter who we are or where we live, we all deserve elected leaders who respect our personal freedoms and don’t try to regulate our bodies. As TOP gets out the vote across our state, we are hitting this message hard, because WE determine our own futures, not out-of-touch politicians like Gov. Abbott.”

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TOP Statement on Record Early Voter Turnout

October 23, 2024

Texas voters are making history, and the collective we — the Texas Organizing Project and the communities we organize with — are driving this surge. From Bexar County to the DFW Metroplex, Texans are showing up, ready to take ownership of our future.

TOP Co-Executive Director Michelle Tremillo said: “Where we are today is proof that Texans are not backing down, and we’re even breaking records, defying expectations, and showing what’s possible when communities come together. From San Antonio to the suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth, the energy is real, and it’s just the start of early voting.”

Tremillo continued, “TOP knows that transforming Texas takes more than one election cycle, that’s why we’ve been on the ground 365 days a year, organizing, building infrastructure, and investing in the power of everyday people — no matter our age, race, faith, or gender. This turnout reflects years of commitment and hard work across our Black and Latino communities.”

TOP Co-Executive Director Brianna Brown added: “Texans know what’s at stake this election, and we are stepping up to transform our state. This moment belongs to Black, Latino, and working families and it’s just the beginning. Breaking records on the first day is exciting, but we need to keep this momentum going every single day through Election Day.”

Statewide Record: Texas surpassed the 2020 record for first-day in-person voting by more than 130,000 votes, with 886,526 in-person votes cast on Day 1.
Combined Vote Total: So far, 1,049,166 votes (in-person + mail-in) were reported for Day 1, approaching the 1.1 million record set in 2020, even with some counties yet to report.
Harris County Turnout: Harris County has already seen over 242,000 votes cast over the first two days, maintaining high engagement despite the removal of 24-hour voting.
Bexar County Turnout: Bexar County saw over 46,000 votes cast on the first day of early voting, indicating strong local engagement that aligns with broader statewide trends. The turnout momentum has continued, with Day 2 surpassing Day 1, highlighting increased enthusiasm compared to previous cycles
Kamala Harris Rally: Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a rally in Houston this Friday, emphasizing the significance of Texas in the 2024 election, marking the first presidential-level rally this close to Election Day in Texas in 30 years.

TOP remains committed to supporting communities throughout the early voting period, providing the resources needed to sustain high turnout. Through phone-banking, door-knocking, and moving voters online, we are working together to make Texas a place where everyone can thrive.

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