Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Another New Orleans-like tragedy accompanies Hurricane Dolly's approach to south Texas

The following post by my "big sister" Marisa Treviño shows why the growiing Hispanic blogosphere and media is so critical to providing needed news coverage that's not available from the supposed mainstream outlets.

The U.S. Border Patrol announced earlier this year that its humanitarian evacuations(by bus) in the case of hurricanes would screen for the legal presence of the victims in this nation. Victims identified as undocumented would be evacuated but then deported once they reach a safe place. Either way, these hard-working, church-going people lose their jobs, homes and dreams -- hurricane or not.

How that's for conservative, Bush administration family values?

Advocates responded that this policy would result in the most poor and vulnerable in the paths of hurricanes avoiding evacuation. Thus, flooding from hurricanes under this policy would kill many people, primarily Hispanics. In New Orleans, under the watch of the Bush administration, it was African-Americans.

Does someone see a trend here? I really hate to write about such a political possibility, but this trend is unavoidable to point out.

With ICE workplace raids and 287g deportation programs in cities like Nashville, it is not unreasonable to believe that the Bush administration's intent is to get undocumented workers out of this country -- one way or the other. Flood deaths from hurricanes would most certainly be less costly to the federal budget. And another New Orleans-like tragedy didn't really move the Bush administration initially several years ago.

Here is the needed warning from www.latinalista.net:

Hurricane off S. Texas coast leaves some wondering if Border Patrol will make good on threat to screen for undocumented

By Marisa Treviño

Dolly is getting her act together and while that's usually a good thing for most of those with this name, it isn't for this Dolly — Hurricane Dolly, that is.

Proposed trajectory of Dolly through Texas' Rio Grande Valley.
(Source: National Hurricane Center)

The point of impact is calculated to be around Brownsville,Texas. There are reports that people are flocking to the Home Depot stores in the area and stocking up on supplies and materials to board their homes.

The city of Brownsville is giving out sandbags to every resident who brings a proof of residency and a shovel and a multi-agency coordination center is being set up in McAllen to smooth communications between different jurisdictions. The governor of Texas has also activated the National Guard to be on standby in case they're needed.

With all this activity, there is still "an elephant in the room" that no one has openly addressed yet — if evacuation becomes necessary, will the border patrol follow through on their threat of separating the undocumented from the general population?

Continue reading "Hurricane potential off S. Texas coast leaves some wondering if Border Patrol will make good on threat to screen for undocumented" »


Thanks, Marisa, for the warning. Pray that the Bush administration finally realizes that one New Orleans-like tragedy is enough.

2 comments:

randyjet said...

I see that again, you have no knowledge of what you are talking about. I lived in the valley for many years in McAllen and Laredo. It does not take very long to clear the border check points along the roads leading out of the valley. I have ridden the bus and gone through them, and it takes max five minutes to clear them. Also, if you don't want to go throught them at all, just go up river to McAllen or Laredo. Neither of those places will be evacuating, and there are NO CHECKPOINTS along that route. Or if you are Mexican, then go south to Mexico. All in all, there is no problem getting out even for illegals.

I suggest that you learn something about what you are talking about. It is irrelevant about the illegals having jobs or homes. They have violated the law. When you do that, you suffer consequences. Think a doctor who has no medical license to practice in the US be allowed to keep on doing it, just because he is a doctor? Where would you draw any line. I guess that the foreigners should be the ones who decide who may or may not come to the US?

I am a long time liberal Democrat, and I fully endorse Barbara Jordan's statements she made to Congress as head of Clinton's commission on immigration. I suggest you read it. I also have to inform you that most Mexican Americans do NOT support YOUR position. My neighbor in McAllen was a LEGAL Mexican immigrant, and he hated the illegals who were working alongside of him and driving his wages down. Thanks to them, he only made $8/hr as a skilled auto mechanic. Most of his co-workers lived in Mexico, and commuted to work every day. That is why we need E-verify, and crack down on the employers of illegals.

Anonymous said...

I guess the next thing you know they'll be making emergency room doctors screen for legal status nd deport any ER patient who is undocumented. Who cares if this results in illegal immigrants abstaining from life-saving emergency treatment? Apparently the author of the previous comment would say whether they live or die is "irrelevent." After all, "they have violated the law." Unlike killing or stealing, being here undocumented is not inherently wrong in and of itself(malum in se). Rather, it is wrong merely because we have set up rules that say it is (malum prohibitum). Granted, it's still against the rules, and that needs to be addressed. But in the meantime, sometimes there are human factors (like life and health) that are deeper and bigger than the artificial rules we set up.