Jaime Torres/El Paso Journal
Sunday, January 15, 2023 | 22:20
Like every new dawn, dozens of immigrants settled in the surroundings of the Sacred Heart Church, wake up with the hope that the authorities will give them a sign to continue on their way, at the same time they live in anxiety and the anguish of being deported or attacked. by racist residents who have harassed them since their arrival in this country.
With his gaze lost on the horizon, Josué, a young Venezuelan who managed to cross the border on Christmas Eve, remains alert and stealthily observes the movement of people walking along the intersection of Oregon and Father Ram streets.
“This little brother, you have to be aware of the bad people who don’t want us to be here. We do not harm anyone, what we are looking for is just to work, we are good people ”, said who was a waiter at a restaurant in his country.
He, how dozens of foreigners who crossed illegally into the United States, without requesting political asylum since they are expelled because of their nationality, have been the object of verbal attacks from both whites and Hispanics, who come to the place only to insult them and even Others have gone further by physically assaulting them and threatening them with firearms or sharp blades, in order to take away their belongings.
He stated that the strategy adopted by his compatriots has only been to listen to them and not fall for provocations. “We don’t report them unless we see that we are in danger, like the man who pulled out a gun or a knife. We must be prudent and smart,” he said.
To prevent this type of incident and protect the refugees, elements of the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) and the Texas State Patrol –Troopers– have maintained a special operation in the surroundings since the first complaints began to be filed at the end of of 2022.
“This increase was the result of multiple complaints from migrants and residents about problems related to drugs and people who exploit migrants,” the municipal corporation announced at the beginning of the patrols through the sector.
On New Year’s Eve, a man named Steven Driscoll was arrested after he drew and pointed his gun at migrants on the sidewalk at Sacred Heart Church.
According to police, Driscoll claimed he was “doing it for the United States.” The man now faces charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Evading Arrest, Detention in a Motor Vehicle for Disorderly Driving.
He also faces federal charges as a felon in possession of a firearm, court documents state.
In another case, 52-year-old Raymundo Maese, a resident of Downtown El Paso, was arrested by police after harassing several of the migrants established in the Downtown area on January 10.
Officers arrested the man for the violation of Pedestrian in the Driveway and discovered that he had an outstanding warrant for Family Violence for which he was taken into custody and booked into the El Paso County Jail on $3,000 bond by Judge Priddy. The family violence incident occurred on November 7, 2022.
“As everywhere there are bad people, but the vast majority here are good-hearted people who have extended their hands and supported us with clothes, food and even money,” said Claudia, a Colombian immigrant who, like the rest, hopes to continue her road and eventually reach Denver, Colorado.
Paul, a resident of Barinas, Venezuela, said that “gringas and Mexicans frequently arrive to insult them and yell at them to leave when they are invading their territory.”
“I think they think we’re here to take their jobs, but we’re not. We don’t want to stay here, we want to continue on our way,” said the refugee, who wants to get to Canada, work and send money to his wife and his three daughters.
“I feel bad because I haven’t sent them money,” said the anguished man who has been deported several times in his attempt to pass the Border Patrol checkpoints, which are located on the highways.
For her part, Congresswoman Verónica Escobar, who has attended and closely followed the behavior of the migration crisis, said that the recent incidents against foreigners in the area are worrisome because they are already being dealt with by the authorities.
“All xenophobic, hateful and intolerant language and postures have consequences, which is why I care about our volunteers, and I also care about that population,” Escobar said in a press release.
In it, he stated that he shared the article on Driscoll with the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, and said that he had conversations with him and President Joe Biden about the population close to the Church of the Sacred Heart and their vulnerability.
Cristina Pérez, dedicated to the care of adults, regretted that this phenomenon is registered in El Paso and spoke out for the authorities to attend to and stop the attacks against migrants.
“Many have no heart, they feel superior, they think that their city is being invaded. We are all equal in the eyes of God, and I see that they come with the need to work”, he expressed.
Pérez condemned the practice of racism and noted: “It is sad but here in the United States racism is the order of the day, it is very ugly and it must be stopped,” said who frequently gives them water and food.
Although most of the leaders call for them to be removed from the streets and given a roof where they can spend the night, the truth is that the same law prohibits giving them that attention, otherwise these institutions lose the resources provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“I think we have to get everyone off the streets because of the climate and because of this situation of violence and attacks against migrants,” said Fernando García, director of the Border Network for Human Rights, who along with other pro-immigrant leaders have fought for the rights of these men and women subject to expulsion for having entered the country illegally.
