First Resolution Opposing Gov. Perry’s decision to send National Guard to our Border passes unanimously in El Paso
Border Network for Human Rights applauds the unanimous vote of El Paso County Commissioners today for a resolution that states that El Paso does not support Governor Perry’s “impractical and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars to militarize the Texas / Mexico border.”
Download Resolution in PDF Format
“Adding Texas Department of Public Safety and the National Guard to the border when they are not needed is a burden to the taxpayer, cumbersome to an already bloated federal enforcement system, and is contrary to the real needs of children and families turning themselves into Border Patrol after fleeing violence in their home countries,” said Fernando Garcia, BNHR Executive Director.
For many years BNHR has been advocating for accountability of the federal border enforcement apparatus. By deploying DPS and National Guard when they are not equipped or trained in civil immigration law or in dealing with vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied immigrant children, the Governor is creating the potential for civil and human rights violations.
As border sheriffs have stated, and as El Paso Sheriff Richard Wiles reiterated today, border communities are among the safest in Texas and in the U.S.
BNHR believes that fabricating myths of spillover violence hurts our ability as border communities to attract business investment and jobs to a region working to be innovated toward economic development. We recognize that the millions of dollars spent on these efforts daily can be much better spent on the real critical needs of Texas.
We look forward to seeing this resolution being enacted by other city and county governments across the state. We urge our Members of Congress to protect the Trafficking Victims Protection and Re-authorization Act of 2008 so that due process rights are afforded to all those seeking refuge in the U.S.
