Commentary: El Paso - State Sen. José Rodríguez released the following statement regarding reports that the administration is proposing to send active duty military to the border:
The reports indicate that this is because of a migrant caravan that is 1,000 miles away in Mexico heading toward the U.S.-Mexico border. The migrants say they want to raise awareness of the dangerous conditions in their home countries in Central America. The administration is claiming they are a national security threat. This is a ridiculous assertion. How in the world can our great country be so afraid of a few thousand desperate people that we would send the military to greet them?
The answer is that the administration is trying to distract us from what truly matters by creating fear based on lies, and misusing the military in the process. The president knows that in Texas, people care about their education and health care, and their neighbors. Long term, we must go back to the principles of immigration reform - unifying families, providing work visas, offering pathway to citizenship, maintaining an already strong enforcement presence on the border, and targeting dangerous criminal organizations - and help those countries rebuild what they have lost, in some cases through U.S. actions. We have a responsibility, and opportunity, to help make things better through practical and humane policies toward our southern hemispheric neighbors.
Meanwhile, the best solution for Texans is to stay focused on getting your friends and family to vote for candidates who won't lie about groups of people - be they immigrants, LGBTQ, or religious minorities - to create fear that produces unAmerican, anti-freedom public policy. We've been through periods of draconian anti-immigrant policies that included internment camps, and without fail, we've always looked back with shame and regret. We are in a moment where we can overcome this pattern by stopping these terrible policies before they do further harm.
José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Natural Resources and Economic Development; Transportation; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.