By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. Tuesday expressed his anger and frustration over the illegal immigration crisis that developed here in mid-September and laid blame for the situation squarely on the Biden administration.
Owens spoke during Tuesday’s regular term meeting of county commissioners court and began by telling the court that on Sept. 14, he was told there were 3,400 to 3,600 illegal immigrants under the city’s international bridge. By the morning of Sept. 17, that number had ballooned to 12,155, he said.
“Last commissioners court, two weeks ago, we were informed here that, basically, we had 3,400-3,600 individuals underneath the (international) bridge. Wednesday, that number was 4,500. Thursday, it was 8,200, at 7:13 in the morning, and then by 8 o’clock in the afternoon, it was 10,667. Friday morning, it was 12,155,” Owens told the court.
In the end, there may have been more than 20,000 immigrants under the bridge, he said.
Owens said the unprecedented immigrant surge was met by about 2,300 law enforcement personnel and support staff, including some 700 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.
Owens called the outpouring of support for law enforcement personnel who responded to the crisis “unbelievable.”
In far south Del Rio, residents set up a refreshment station on Qualia Drive offering free water, coffee, Gatorade and snacks to law enforcers. Another Del Rioan hosted three female DPS troopers in a guesthouse on his property.
“It was a damn thing for this to happen, but if it had to happen anywhere, this was about the best place for it to happen. The support we had, you had so many different agencies, with so much authority, and there was no egos, no pissing contests, nobody jumped out in front of it. I was allowed to sit in on some of the meetings that they were holding, and just to see them working together and the respect they have for each other, it was unbelievable,” Owens said.
The judge said he was also impressed by the respect paid to Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez.
Other Del Rioans, even some vehemently opposed to illegal immigration, offered help for the immigrants.
Owens also addressed the closure of the international bridge.
“I think it needed to happen. It was one of those deals, where just for the record, for the safety and well-being of everybody at the port, but in reality, the other part that plays into it, and everybody already knows it – it’s not being said, but everybody knows it – it had to happen in order to get people’s attention,” Owens said.
“It’s that damn simple. It’s always about the dollars. It starts costing people money, and people start paying attention,” he added.
Owens said he believed Del Rio Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano’s first concern was the safety of city and federal staff at the toll plaza and the port of entry.
The county judge also described the situation under the bridge.
“The number (of immigrants) just kept growing, and at one point, they were literally going back and forth across to Mexico to get food, charge their phones; it was unbelievable. People who think we have a closed border have another thing coming,” Owens said.
“They were just going and coming. We had people bringing water and selling water, even though there was water there (at the encampment), they were bringing water and orange sodas and Cokes across to sell. People set up barbershops to cut hair as the week went on. One lady set up and was braiding hair, with little beads . . . They were literally going and getting plates, sending somebody out to get food,” he added.
Owens said in at least one instance, agents gave immigrants food meant for the agents, though he said eventually a volunteer food service group, World Central Kitchen, set up under the bridge to feed everyone.
“Was it the best circumstances for people to be in? Hell, no. But there was no way on God’s green earth that you could come up with 16,000 cots. It wasn’t going to happen. But there was water all the time. There was food. There was baby formula. There was Pampers. It was like its own little city, and we’re getting numbers from about 16,000, but what I was told last night, (that the number of immigrants) was probably upwards of 21,000,” Owens said.
The county judge called comments made by both Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about a mounted Border Patrol agent filmed trying to corral immigrants entering the country “completely asinine.”
“The president; I don’t think he’ll ever get it, just to be perfectly clear, and for the president to comment on a Border Patrol officer, that ‘people will pay,’ that’s just bullshit. It’s not right, and then for our secretary (Mayorkas) to say the horse was weaponized? Naw. The Border Patrol doesn’t deserve that,” Owens said.
Owens said he had been in two meetings several months ago with Mayorkas and said both Republican and Democrat city and county officials along the Texas border told the secretary that the flow of people from Mexico had to be stopped. In both meetings, Owens said, Mayorkas assured leaders that “it would happen.”
“But it’s not. It’s not happening,” Owens said.
“What happened underneath the bridge, we just can’t have this again. We have a president that mandates vaccines, and you have healthcare workers that have decided to quit their jobs because they don’t want the vaccine, but yet you allow 16,000 individuals into our country, not tested, not vaccinated. There’s just something wrong, and I could go on and on and on,” Owens said.
“It’s upsetting. You’re almost at a loss for words. You’re just tired of running into the wall. We have to do something as a court. It’s frustrating, and we all see it. We’re all living it, and people that don’t believe it … I’m not going to be able to get them to understand that there’s a problem. If this didn’t open up their eyes, there’s nothing else that can happen to open individuals’ eyes to see that we have a problem,” Owens said.
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