By Karen Gleason
Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part interview. The first part of the interview can be found online at https://830times.com/news-mayor-speaks-out-about-immigrant-crisis/
Del Rio Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano said the nation’s elected leaders must put their political differences aside to address and modernize the country’s immigration laws.
“I think we need to put an immediate stop to providing incentives for migrants to cross unlawfully. I believe that when you announce there’s $110 million through FEMA to feed and clothe some of the transient population, I feel that it’s an incentive for them to come because they know they’re going to get aid,” Lozano said, adding he believes that money is needed by groups like the local Val Verde Border Humanitarian Coalition, which is helping newly-released migrants find transportation out of the area.
Lozano also said he doesn’t see anything wrong with establishing tent complexes to temporarily house immigrants.
“My philosophy is, that if tent cities are good enough for our military members, they’re good enough for people who are just beginning their journey here. I was in the Air Force, and I lived in a tent for six months,” the mayor said.
Lozano also worried aloud about the security situation caused when tens of thousands of migrants are released into the country on their own recognizance.
“I feel this is a breach of national security, and I hold that very dear as a veteran of the Security Forces in the United States Air Force. I believe this is a national security breach on an unprecedented level. The people that we see detained want to be detained. They want to get captured. They want to seek asylum. They want to have a better life.
“And so, my question is, what about all the ones that aren’t caught? What about the ones that do make it through? That’s my biggest fear, that we’re enabling this behavior of unlawfulness at the border and then, simultaneously, as a consequence, because there are so many people trying to cross that want to be detained, those individuals are funding criminal organizations in Mexico, and all of the border communities know this,” Lozano said.
Lozano said he is also aware that the humanitarian aspect of the crisis is sometimes lost.
“But that doesn’t mean we should condone this behavior,” he said.
Lozano emphasized, “I am not anti-immigration. I am anti-unlawful entry.”
“I believe the naturalization process is antiquated. I believe that we need to look into a modern approach to the naturalization process. Immigration is a fundamental reality of the founding of our nation, but the naturalization process is just something that’s so inefficient and exhausting that it’s easier to make this decision to enter unlawfully,” he said.
Lozano said illegal immigrants put themselves and the communities where they land into lose-lose situations.
“(Illegal entry) doesn’t set anybody up for success. It doesn’t set up the new communities for success. All those mayors and community leaders have to figure out a way to provide services to these individuals. The individuals themselves are hiding under the radar, getting paid under the table. Some of them get into sex slavery or manual labor or crime,” he said.
Lozano pointed to the immigration gateway at New York’s Ellis Island and posited the development of similar facilities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We could have something similar at all of our ports of entry, land ports, sea ports, even airports to some degree, and have these facilities that would give us a modern-day approach to immigration, and with that, we’ll need more federal magistrates, more immigration judges, more health and human services workers, we’ll need the manpower. We definitely need to reform and look into developing an updated procedure, but I don’t know if that’s possible with the divisiveness in this country right now,” Lozano said.
The mayor said also shared some anecdotes of the impact of the migrant surge on individual citizens in Del Rio.
“I have a photographer who told me she’s scared to go to the creek because she was recently approached by a couple of migrants that were asking for food and she didn’t know if they were going to steal her equipment,” Lozano said.
The mayor said he is aware of another incident in which a migrant approached golfers on the city golf course and asked for food.
“Then there were two breaches at the port of entry on the outbound lane where two times, groups of five and six individuals breached the lane, looking to be detained. Those are the incidents I’m aware of,” Lozano said.
“I just feel that ultimately what gets lost is the humanitarian aspect and we want to make sure that everybody who is trying to make a better life in the United States is set up for success, but condoning unlawful behavior is not that route. I believe that bringing to light this experience will help make our country better and we need to act swiftly and justly to reform the naturalization process . . . I’ll continue to voice the citizens’ concerns and be there for my community and try my best to make our federal elected leaders listen,” he said.
