By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A majority of Val Verde County Commissioners Court approved a resolution declaring the county is being invaded by “illegal aliens.”
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. gave the only dissenting vote on the resolution, which was discussed and passed during the court’s November regular term meeting Nov. 22.
Before the discussion, Irma Cardenas, a leader of The Border Organization, told the court, “The Border Organization is interested in having serious conversations over serious issues, such as mental health care, internet connection, water for subdivisions and expanding the women’s shelter to include a children’s shelter. Declaring that we are being invaded is not a serious issue. It is without merit in Val Verde County.”
Owens announced the agenda item as “discussion and possible action for approval of a resolution declaring an invasion of illegal aliens of Val Verde County.”
County Commissioner Pct. 2 Martin Wardlaw immediately made a motion to approve the resolution, with County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores giving the second.
“Did we come up with a draft?” County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton asked County Attorney David Martinez.
Martinez replied, “There was a resolution that mirrors the language of Gov. Abbott’s declaration last week, a declaration of an invasion, basically. The language is almost identical. I’d like to share with the court, first off, the definition of invasion is when someone is trying to come in and take over your sovereign land. That’s not what’s happening here in Val Verde County. Since Jan. 1, 2022, although there have been, the resolution says, 323,000 apprehensions by Border Patrol, criminal trespass arrests in Val Verde County total 15.
“There have been probably a couple of thousand (criminal trespass arrests) in Kinney County and a couple of thousand in Maverick County, but only 15 arrests in Val Verde County for criminal trespass. There have been numerous arrests for human smuggling in Val Verde County, probably 80 to 90 percent of those have been of U.S. citizens. Those aren’t immigrants coming over committing those crimes, those are American citizens, and those aren’t crimes against property, which is kind of what is inferred or implied by an invasion. What’s happening in Ukraine, that’s an invasion. We don’t have that, in my opinion, here in Val Verde County,” Martinez told the court.
Nettleton then asked about the number of Border Patrol apprehensions of immigrants in Val Verde County.
Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez stepped to the podium and spoke to the court.
“In talking to Border Patrol, actually, yesterday, the number of apprehensions in the Del Rio Sector, taking into consideration the Del Rio Sector is 46 counties, they’re ranging anywhere from 1,200 to 1,600 apprehensions in the sector per day. In Val Verde County, it’s 80 to 100 persons, but that’s just in Val Verde County,” the sheriff said.
“That does not include all the groups out west of here that are going through that nobody has contact with,” Nettleton said.
“Sanderson, right now is getting hammered,” Martinez said.
Nettleton interrupted the sheriff and said, “It’s not just Sanderson. Pumpville, the Langtry area, there’s a lot of people going through there.”
“I was out there yesterday for seven hours and didn’t run across anybody,” Martinez said.
“You may not run across them, but I talk to the ranchers, and trust me, they’re walking through their properties,” Nettleton said.
Owens returned the conversation to the definition of “invasion” and asked the county attorney, “In your opinion, does the definition of invasion apply to what we’re going through?”
“Not what we’re experiencing here in Val Verde County,” the county attorney replied.
“And the governor’s declaration of invasion was based off of?” Nettleton asked.
“Total apprehensions by Border Patrol,” Martinez said.
“Well, if the definition of invasion doesn’t apply, then how is the governor using the word invasion?” Nettleton asked.
“You’d have to ask him that question, not me. All that being said, if the governor has already declared an invasion for the state of Texas, I think it’s probably a moot point for any individual county to do the same thing, because the governor’s already done it on behalf of the state,” the county attorney replied.
When Owens asked if there was any additional discussion, no one replied.
Owens then took a roll call vote, with all four of the commissioners voting in favor of the motion to approve the resolution and only the county judge voting against.
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