AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin taqueria is now striving to lend a helping hand to immigrants in the community who may be struggling with deportation fears.
Miguel Cobos, owner of Vaquero Taquero, said he wants to serve his community in more ways than one. That’s why he launched the “Estamos Unidos Americanos” Taco Passport, an initiative aimed at helping provide legal aid to those who need it.
Cobos said the initiative invites taco lovers to purchase a passport and visit participating taquerias, where 10% of each purchase would go towards nonprofits supporting undocumented immigrants and DACA recipients.
“If they, for whatever reason, don’t have a legal status here and they have to go back,” Cobos said. “This is a way for them to have power of attorney and help and have that legality structure into protecting their own, their own, assets.”
According to Cobos, the taco passport will also serve as a tool for participating taquerias to help their own workers with these services. Cobos said that since the idea came to life, about 50 Mexican restaurants are already looking to get involved.
Joseph Gomez, owner of Sana Sana Taqueria, told KVUE he also chose to get behind this initiative because he felt close to the cause.
“Me and my family are all immigrants. My mother [was the] son of migrant workers,” Gomez said. “So all this is very important to me. I mean, without these people, this industry wouldn’t survive very well.”
While this initiative is still in the concept development phase, Cobos said he has already garnered immense support from the community on his GoFundMe page. He said he hopes to bring his vision to life soon.