By Karen Gleason
Val Verde County’s immigrant surge is poised to enter its fifth month and shows no signs of slowing.
Val Verde County Commissioners Court members discussed the surge during the court’s May regular term meeting Tuesday, and county officials said they believe the costs related to the surge may cost local taxpayers as much as a million dollars this year.
“When you look at our numbers, I guess our high month – and correct me if I’m wrong, sheriff – was probably March, the beginning of April, but I know you (the sheriff) told me the other day we had 88, and then you had a hundred-something you were sitting on?”
County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said at the start of the discussion.
Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez then made his way to the podium and spoke to the court about the situation.
“I think that the numbers are increasing. Over the last seven, eight days, I think there were 1,200 people from Venezuela only, not counting Cuba or Africa or anywhere else. I was able to get those numbers because I had some media from Florida that was interested only in the Venezuelan individuals, but last night (Monday) at 8:30, 9 o’clock, they were sitting on 86 at that one location in the vega, so people are continuing to come, and it’s not going to slow down,” Martinez told the court.
“So when you pick them up, then immigration comes and pick them up, processes them and releases them, if they’re not from Mexico?” County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton asked the sheriff.
“So, what takes place, when we encounter them, we call Border Patrol, and Border Patrol comes and picks them up and takes them to their facility, processes them. Then the family units, more than likely, released to the NGO down there on Las Vacas. The adult individuals are sent to an ICE processing center and probably in 36 to 72 hours, they’re probably released if they meet qualifications,” Martinez explained.
“But again, the ones that they’re sending back are people from Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador, right? Everybody else is staying here,” County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores asked.
“Depending on the circumstances, even some of those might get to stay, but in answer to your question, yes, the majority of them get sent back,” Owens replied.
Owens said the chief of the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector had sent him a list of the nationalities and noted he had seen “at least” 29 different countries on the list.
“Which is just amazing,” Owens added.
The county judge also said he “had come unglued a little bit” during a recent interview he had given on the current immigrant situation.
“I got a little emotional (because) you have so much that we need to do for the people who are already here, and we don’t set that money aside because evidently we don’t have it, but here we’re forced to go spend money on individuals that we’re catching, that are doing the smuggling, and I know the sheriff and I go back and forth on how much money, but I think it would be safe to say that if this trend continues, at least by the end of the year, it’ll cost us half a million dollars,” Owens said.
“Yes, we’re on target to hit that. The jail population has not decreased. I had a meeting with the Assistant United States Attorney last week, and he and the district attorney are in talks right now to see what cases they would take, so that would take that number off of us and put it on them (the federal government), but I don’t know how that’s going to work out just yet,” Martinez replied.
“And that cost is only the cost you see. It still doesn’t include all the court costs yet to come, all the prosecution costs that are yet to come, plus we’re going to have to provide them with attorneys, and all of those costs,” Nettleton observed.
“It’s just a snowball effect,” Owens agreed.
“The burden on the taxpayers will probably be closer to a million dollars by the time this is said and done,” Nettleton said.
“When you take all that into consideration, more than likely, yes,” the sheriff agreed.
“And that’s being picked up by the local taxpayers. It’s not being picked up by the feds or the state,” Nettleton added.
“That’s why we’re making a push to move them from the state side to the federal side,” Martinez added.
Nettleton assured the sheriff, “You all are doing a great job. I’m more irritated with the feds and the state for putting us in this situation because the local people are going to be picking up the tab for this. The kind of money we’re spending could be utilized for the veterans, for the children, for other things.”
Owens, too, thanked Martinez and County Attorney David Martinez for working with the federal attorneys and U.S. District Judge Alia Moses.
“It’s just unbelievable though, the amount of money we’re fixing to spend. We have individuals every day that need housing, who are veterans, who need food, and we’re doing the best we can, but yet we get this other thing shoved down our throats. It just leaves a bad taste,” Owens said.
Martinez said moving some of the accused smugglers being held in custody from the state side to the federal side of the detention center would give the county “a little breathing room.” The sheriff also noted that the Texas Department of Corrections has resumed taking some prisoners from the jail, moves temporarily halted during the pandemic.
Martinez said sending some of those prisoners on to state prisons will also slightly decrease the population at the detention center.
