By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
Democratic El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the southern border with Mexico is closed in El Paso and that those who support border security measures are racist.
Before he gave his opening statement, Samaniego said, “I must disabuse you of information, which I personally know to be false. El Paso has no open borders. Asylum seekers present themselves to the Border Patrol for processing.
“There is no invasion of immigrants in our community. Or their hordes of undocumented immigrants committing crimes against citizens or wreaking havoc in our communities. It perpetuates a false, racist narrative against those who claim it to perpetuate the violence that the El Paso community is all too familiar with,” suggesting that those who claim open borders contributed to the 2019 school shooting in El Paso.
Related: Border Patrol agents arrest 38 known terrorists in first 3 months of 2023
The North Texas man who opened fire at the Crucius School, Patrick Wood, suffered from “severe lifelong neurological and mental disabilities” and was in a “psychotic state” when he was arrested, CNN reported. Report.
The judge made the comments after Brandon Dunn, a resident of Hays County, Texas testify About her son, a 15-year-old sophomore in high school, who died of fentanyl poisoning, possibly from drugs brought across the southern border.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, asked Don if he and his wife, who is Hispanic, believe that “wanting a secure border makes one racist or anti-Hispanic.” Dunn replied, “Not at all. His family is in the same position.”
Samaniego testified instead of a Republican Terrell County judge who was originally scheduled to testify. Judge Dale Carruthers was among three judges in the Texas county who first announced the attack last July. While doing so he addressed the issue of racism, saying, “Terrell County has less than 1,000 people. we had [people from] More than 100 counties pass through Terrell County. This is every shade of melanin in your skin. We face an attack that is something in every language.
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“And I say – I am a multi-ethnic judge. I’m standing here telling you that it’s not colored. More than 100 countries are coming. We are trying to protect the sovereignty of Texas. I am a constitutional judge and we stand behind the constitution.
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Terrell County Sheriff Thad Cleveland also pushed back on Samaniego’s claims, telling Center Square he was “disappointed” to hear his comments. “We’re allowing people into our country based on lies,” said Cleveland, a former Border Patrol agent. They are claiming asylum, and are frankly not eligible for it. I have personally stopped several Cubans and Nicaraguans in Terrell County who were granted entry under asylum within the last few months and are now smuggling illegal aliens.”
Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of El Paso also claimed that El Paso is “one of the safest communities in the United States along the Mexico border,” similar claim Last year the Democratic gubernatorial candidate produced Robert O’Rourke.
Escobar made the comments as the FBI issued a statement warning El Paso is a major human trafficking and kidnapping destination for federal agents and Texas state troopers continue Arresting human smugglers and uncovering smugglers’ hideouts.
Customs and Border Protection Report Record high drug seizures and apprehensions of felons, sex offenders and fugitives in January at El Paso’s port of entry. They seized more than 500 pounds of hard drugs, arrested 62 people with outstanding warrants, including sex offenders. They have also arrested 10 fugitives in the last three days.
After that CBP agents Report A 177% increase in apprehensions of inadmissible persons from 2021 to 2022 and a 17% increase in cocaine seizures in 2022.
It has arrested more than 24,000 criminals through Operation Lone Star, excluding Texas law enforcement officials who entered through the southern border since March 2021, according to the governor’s office. They also recently rescued an 18-month-old child who was kidnapped and held for ransom in El Paso.
RELATED: Texas Border Sheriff Sends SOS: ‘Illegal Aliens Are Wreaking havoc in Our Community’
El Paso, just across the Rio Grande River from Ciudad Juarez, is just miles from where rival gangs and cartels have historically fought for control of the multi-billion dollar human and drug smuggling enterprise run by the Sinaloa Cartel.
The Texas Legislature is expected to appropriate nearly $5 billion in state taxpayer money this legislative session to continue funding Texas’ border security effort, Operation Lone Star, for the next two years.
Syndicated with permission from Center Square.