LAREDO, TX – On Monday night, in a 6-2 vote, the Laredo City Council voted to approve the City Manager’s recommendation to give away City-owned land to the State of Texas for border wall construction near Colombia Bridge, despite widespread opposition from City residents and near record low illegal crossings. There remains no data to support the need for a wall in Laredo.
The two dissenting votes were Council members Alyssa Cigarroa and Melissa R. Cigarroa. Votes in favor of allowing the State to build a wall were Mayor Victor Treviño and Council members Richie Rangel Jr., Dr. Tyler King, Gilbert Gonzalez, Rick Garza, and Ruben Gutierrez Jr. Vanessa Perez was absent for the vote.
The vote may set a new precedent for the City of Laredo and the wall. For years, previous Laredo City Councils stood strong and drew a clear line against invasive projects like the wall. Meanwhile, local residents withstood threats and mounted one of the greatest battles in the city’s nearly 270- year history by mobilizing a diverse Coalition to defeat previous wall plans for Laredo and Zapata.
“This is a shocking move by our City leaders,” said Tannya Benavides, a local community organizer. “The state came in and bullied their way into City Hall with threats and scare tactics, falsely making it seem like we had no options. It was very manipulative, and shows how they see us: just some small town that can be pushed around. It’s a huge sign of disrespect shown to our border community.”
Gabriela A. Treviño, a Laredo native and local non-profit leader, further noted, “Everyone avoided asking the obvious question: ‘Why does Laredo even need a wall?’ Laredo remains one of the safest places in the United States. Border crossings have been declining for years, and are now near zero. There is absolutely no need for a wall in Laredo. None. So why is the State pushing this on us, and why are our city leaders not pushing back?”
Regina Portillo, a City Planning & Zoning Commissioner, also expressed disbelief: “Since Laredo’s founding in 1755, the most valuable part of Laredo is its place along the river. The City is one of the largest landowners of river land within City limits, holding parcels that extreme political forces within the State and Federal government have long desired. This is a real estate transaction that makes no sense for our City’s growth and prosperity.”
At the Monday meeting, City Manager Joseph Neeb and Mayor Treviño did not provide information to the public about the decision to give away riverfront land to the State for a border wall, and instead chose to take the item behind closed doors into executive session, where the public is not privy to the details of the decision.
In the absence of any clear details, Juan Livas, a community leader and father, asked why city officials caved so quickly: “The State leveraged the fact that a single private landowner along the river agreed to take money for the wall, then turned around and used that as a way to pressure the City, telling them that they better go along with it, or else. Or else what? Honestly, we are very disappointed that a fellow resident would take state money in exchange for opening the door to this kind of damage to our city. That’s a betrayal of our larger community for personal gain. On top of that, we now have City officials who won’t stand up to the state. Their vote to build a wall on our land won’t be forgotten.”
Sister Rosemary Welsh, a local faith leader, asked the mayor and council members on Monday night ‘Why they were even talking about this?’ “We all know that a wall makes no sense,” Welsh said. “Yet it keeps coming back, for purely political reasons. Let’s talk about that first, before anyone starts discussing where or on what path it should be built. Our City leaders need to find the courage to stand up for the truth, first and foremost.”
Navy veteran Maxine Rebeles described the State’s move as bully tactics: “If you give in to a bully, they don’t go away. They just come back for more. Sometimes it’s better to fight back right up front, even if there is a cost, just to send a message that you won’t be taken advantage of again.”
Nadja López, a local educator, resident, and mother, agreed: “Laredo’s future identity and prosperity are now at stake. City officials may believe that giving in will make Laredo safer from a vindictive State governor who threatens to take more land or withhold funding, but that is not the experience of other cities who have had their lands taken away.”
Meanwhile, in July 2020, the DHS Inspector General found that CBP had not provided evidence to justify the expense of a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project along the border.
“There is a saying in Texas: Come and Take it. We are not just Texans, but Laredoans,” López said. “We stand up to bullies to protect what we love and cherish most.”
The #NoBorderWall Laredo Coalition is a network of residents, elected officials, & organizations who oppose the border wall. Website: facebook.com/NoBorderWallCoalition | Insta: @noborderwall_ltx
