Cynthia Vasquez, a member of El Principe De Paz United Methodist Church and a leader of The Border Organization, calls on Del Rio City Council members to draft and approve a resolution condemning Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s use of floating buoys in the Rio Grande and barbed wire fencing on the river bank to deter immigrants from entering the country illegally. (Photo by Karen Gleason)

NEWS — Activists call on council to denounce governor’s border tactics

By Karen Gleason

The 830 Times

 

An area activist organization is calling on the Del Rio City Council to condemn Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s most recent anti-illegal immigration measures in Maverick County.

Cynthia Vasquez, a member of the Principe de Paz United Methodist Church and a leader in The Border Organization, made her comments to the city council during its July 25 meeting.

Vasquez addressed the council during the citizen comments portion of its agenda. Before Vasquez spoke, another Border Organization leader, the Rev. Ruben Chairez of El Principe De Paz United Methodist Church, made similar comments to the council in Spanish.

“The Border Organization comes before you this evening asking that the city council joins us in raising our voice in disgust and rejection against the governor of Texas and the state for the use of these barriers against our immigrant families trying to come across,” Vasquez told the council.

The barriers referenced by Vasquez are large, spherical, orange fixed buoys floating on a 1,000-foot stretch of the Rio Grande just south of Eagle Pass, Texas, in neighboring Maverick County. The buoys were installed under the direction of the Texas Department of Public Safety earlier this month, according to the Associated Press.

The buoys and barbed wire fencing on the riverbanks in Maverick County are the latest tools being used by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in attempts to deter immigrants from crossing the Rio Grande to enter the United States illegally.

“We feel that these buoys and barbed wire, such barriers are presenting a great danger, physically and a risk to their very lives to those seeking asylum. We must not forget that these are human beings just like us, human beings made in the image of God. The only difference between them and us is that they were born in countries where poverty prevails, unemployment, violence, and many other kinds of insecurities,” Vasquez told the council.

“We stand and seek a more dignified and humanitarian way of treating our families and giving them a better quality of life and a safer place to live,” Vasquez said.

“In addition to this, we are asking Mayor Arreola, Mr. Sheedy, to please place this item on the agenda of the next city council meeting for a vote on a resolution condemning the actions by the state troopers at the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass. We are horrified by these actions and certainly do not want these measures taken here in Val Verde County or anywhere else,” Vasquez finished.

Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com

Brian

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