LULAC ISSUES STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF A REFUGEE MOTHER AND HER TWO CHILDREN IN EAGLE PASS, TX
January 14, 2024
Contact David Cruz - (818) 689-9991
davidcruz@lulac.org
January 14, 2023 - LULAC National President Domingo Garcia issued the following statement following the news of the death of three refugees, a woman, and two children, in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, TX, days after U.S. Border Patrol was blocked from accessing portions of the U.S.-Mexico border at Shelby Park, in Eagle Pass, Texas. "LULAC is deeply saddened by the news of the death of three refugees who lost their lives due in large part to failings in our country's border patrol policies and Texas Governor Greg Abbott's continued lack of compassion for humanitarian causes.
"We need a collaborative – and not combative or political – approach to managing the crisis at the border, or more lives will be lost as they are every day. We are calling on our elected officials and national civil rights leaders to advocate for better cooperation between the U.S. Border Patrol, the Texas National Guard, and the local governing authorities to ensure all of our available resources are fully engaged and available.
I am shocked that Gov. Abbott and his administration continue a 'go it alone' approach, creating policies that prioritize his political interests and result in the unnecessary deaths of the most vulnerable while wasting Texans' taxpayer dollars and doing nothing to fix our broken immigration system. We have talked to Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas and other elected officials to help investigate this terrible tragedy. LULAC has sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney for Eagle Pass to launch an investigation into possible murder, criminally negligent homicide, and child endangerment charges against those involved in the death of a mother and her two children. See attached letter.
"On this weekend, I am reminded of Martin Luther King Jr.'s words, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' LULAC will continue to stand on the side of justice and fight for the civil rights of those unrepresented, voiceless, and invisible."
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