A group of pro-border wall supporters calling themselves the “Trump Train” was forced to change its plan to drive over the giant DEFUND THE WALL, FUND OUR FUTURE street mural in downtown Laredo.
A newly formed group of U.S. military veterans – Veterans United to Stop The Wall – caused the detour by hosting an event with their families to retouch the mural and keep it from being defaced.
Veterans United chose Sept. 12 because it was the closest available day to Sept 11. The timing of the two events required the Trump Train to change its route, causing them to fail in achieving the goal they announced on Facebook, “to drive over liberal mural on Victoria St.”
Veterans United To Stop The Wall is a new wing of the No Border Wall Coalition and is composed of Laredo veterans, young and old, both men and women, from different political parties, who served in every branch of the military.
The Trump Train brought hundreds of people to Laredo, who drove through the streets honking their horns and yelling pro-Trump slogans.
If people are coming out of town telling us what is best for us, and that we should accept a highly destructive border wall on our land when they are not going to pay the price, that’s wrong,” said Coalition member Melissa R. Cigarroa.
“The most shocking part of today is that the Trump Train parade announced that it would go through the historically registered El Azteca neighborhood, a low income, but cherished area. Some of the veterans in our coalition grew up there. Parts of that neighborhood will be destroyed and families will be displaced to make way for the wall,” said Juan Ruiz, a Coalition field organizer who has gone door-to-door in that neighborhood to talk to many residents.
“For a parade of people who don’t live there to drive through there with signs saying ‘Build The Wall’ to people who will lose everything because of it, is deeply offensive,” Ruiz said.
“The Trump Train was proposed as a direct response to our mural (see their original tweet) with the single goal of running over it,” said Isabela Cigarroa. “In that, #missionfailed.”
“We have served. We have given to our country,” said Jesus A. “Guero” Segovia, a Vietnam veteran with the U.S. Army. “If we allow our historic lands to be taken from us, they will never belong to the people of Laredo again.”
“I joined the military to defend my country. Now I have joined the No Border Wall Coalition to defend my city, my family, my river, and my people,” said Maxine Rebeles, a U.S. Navy veteran.
A statement from Veterans United to Stop the Wall
South Texas has a strong patriotic history. For generations, Laredo families have sent their sons and daughters to serve in the armed forces. Some have gone to the front lines, and some have made the ultimate sacrifice. We have given everything we can to our country and to the U.S. government.
We joined the military for different reasons: to defend our home, to protect our rights, or to take care of our families.
The border wall is a threat to all of them.
This is one of the biggest battles that Laredo will face in its proud 265-year history. The wall is much bigger and more destructive than what we are being told. If built, it would fundamentally change our home city forever.
We cannot let that happen.
The wall would be more than twice the height of the Berlin Wall, and higher than the wall in Israel/Palestine. In addition to the wall itself, it would create a 150-ft. wide security zone similar in style to North Korea’s DMZ, accompanied by surveillance towers, off limit roads, and flood lights.
The 31 mile long steel and concrete prison wall would completely cut Laredoans off from the river – our lifeblood – that we’ve had access to for nearly 300 years. It would carve a path of destruction through parks, neighborhoods, businesses, places of worship, a community college, and even a children’s home run by nuns.
There is no invasion happening here. That’s a fake crisis created for political reasons. Laredo is safer than most U.S. cities (The violent crime rate is more than 10% lower than the national average).
The wall IS the invasion. If it gets built, the wall will be a monstrosity that every single supporter of it will eventually come to regret. The wall is the ultimate example of Big Government forcefully stealing citizens’ land, and our rights.
If we allow our historic lands to be taken from us, they will never belong to the people of Laredo again.
The wall is a massive waste of taxpayer money. More than half a billion dollars will be given to out-of-state contractors who have already been charged with corruption and are under federal investigation. That money could be better spent on things that we really need, like improving security at our ports of entry, and providing veterans and our community with better health care, education, and affordable housing.
The U.S. government is now trying to seize public land, smash individual property rights, and take away the Constitutional rights of all Laredo citizens. Nearly 30 federal laws – like the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act – have been suspended. As veterans, we fought for these protections, to live in a free nation with a strong Constitution that protects all of its people against the political whims of big government.
As veterans, we are liberals, conservatives, independents, fathers, mothers, grandparents, and children. We did not serve in the military to come back and be treated like second class citizens. We have served. We have given to our country. The people of Laredo are now calling upon veterans to use our voice to protect our city, our homes, our land, and our water for future generations.
The wall is NOT a done deal. We can stop it. There is a plan, and with your help, we can succeed. Laredo has deep respect for its veterans. We know that if we add our voice to this struggle, we will win. We invite you to join Veterans United To Stop The Wall – a chapter of the No Border Wall Laredo Coalition. ¡Si se puede!
Email: Vets@noborderwallcoalition.com | www.noborderwallcoalition.com | facebook.com/NoBorderWallCoalition
My father, Honoré Ligarde, was a veteran of WWII and the home in which he and his siblings were born is already International Bridge II. BRIDGES NOT WALLS