By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
In a nearly unprecedented move, Del Rio Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano closed the city’s toll plaza at the Del Rio International Bridge Friday, effectively shutting down the flow of traffic from Del Rio to Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico.
Lozano announced the move as part of an emergency declaration he enacted moments before, by signing the declaration on the hood of a National Guard Humvee outside a gate in the border fence off Frontera Road. The mayor made the announcement during a press conference at the border fence.
Lozano was joined during the press conference by Mexico Consul Maria de la Paloma Villaseñor Vargas and Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas in a display of mutual support.
Lozano reviewed how the current situation arose, noting that on Monday there were some 2,200 migrants under the bridge waiting to be processed by Border Patrol agents.
“Those numbers, at the time, were extremely high for the city of Del Rio, extraordinary,” the mayor said.
By Friday morning, Lozano said, that number had skyrocketed to 12,500 migrants.
“It’s something never before seen in the city. . . That’s one-third of the population of Del Rio,” Lozano said.
Lozano told reporters he was afraid of the health and safety consequences raised by the large group of migrants “creating their shantytown” under the bridge. The mayor also raised concerns about land being cleared by the Department of Homeland Security on property he said is owned by the city, ostensibly for the construction of some type of building or temporary shelter.
“The city is not aware of what structures they are building . . . The city has no idea of what is being built on its property,” he said.
“This whole situation is unprecedented. It is surreal, and it is affecting everybody in this community,” Lozano said.
Salinas also made comments, pledging his city’s support of Lozano and the Del Rio community.
“It’s a crisis. There is no other way to say it,” Salinas said.
Lozano and Salinas both answered questions from reporters.
Lozano then read the emergency declaration he had signed.
“I was elected to protect the community of Del Rio, Texas, and its assets, and that is my administration, and I will challenge the (Biden) administration to the best of my ability to make sure our message is heard loud and clear. We need to figure out a plan of action,” Lozano said before reading the local disaster declaration.
The declaration closed the toll plaza at the international bridge, in effect closing access to the bridge from the U.S. side.
The Del Rio Port of Entry, which is operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, was also closed on Friday.
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