FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2024
Contacts: Nancy Treviño, media@presente.org
Amerika Garcia Grewal, pr@interactivetransitions.com
Gov. Abbott Keeps Losing!
SCOTUS Rules Against Abbott’s Border Razor Wire, Eagle Pass Residents Demand Action for Human Rights and Environmental Justice
Eagle Pass, TX – This week, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued a major setback to Governor Abbott’s extremist border militarization agenda by siding with the federal government to cut the razor-wire barrier that the state of Texas installed on the US-Mexico border.
Eagle Pass, a town known for its resilience, has endured the lockdown of Shelby Park, the cruel and unnecessary razor wire barrier, and Governor Abbot’s ramped up border militarization tactics that continue to harm the Eagle Pass community. Accordingly, Presente.org and the Eagle Pass Border Coalition issued the following joint statement:
“We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to allow federal agents to once and for all remove the razor-wire barrier that has wreaked havoc on residents, migrants, and wildlife. The solutions we are seeking at the U.S.-Mexico border require honoring people’s human rights and protecting the land and river. The SCOTUS decision is a victory for Eagle Pass residents, Texans, and allies from across the country who are organizing against hate and championing human and environmental rights.
For months, we have been calling on local, state, and federal officials to return the beloved Shelby Park to Eagle Pass residents. Since Governor Abbott’s deadly political stunts on Eagle Pass took effect last summer, our beloved Rio Grande ecosystem has been damaged, we have been unable to congregate as a community in our park, and migrants seeking protection in our country have been harmed.
We call on the state of Texas to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision and respect the human rights of migrants and the residents of Eagle Pass. We hope that this decision will pave the way for an end to Abbotts’ bigoted anti-immigrant policies as we welcome migrants with dignity and demand the protection of our environment, allowing our river and our community to commence to heal.
As Governor Abbott suggests that he will not comply with the SCOTUS decision, we affirm our commitment to organize our communities to advance transformative, transnational solutions that address the root causes of migration — characterized by dignity and compassion for those seeking refuge in the United States.”
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Presente.org is the nation’s largest online Latinx organizing group — and the nation’s premier Latinx digital organizing hub — advancing social justice with technology, media, and culture. Presente.org’s mission is to advance Latinx power and create winning campaigns that amplify Latinx voices; expand the political imagination and traditional boundaries; and foster inspiration for freedom, equity, and justice.
The Eagle Pass Border Coalition is a group of community organizers working to empower our community to lift our voice, protect our culture and become ambassadors of our fronterizo identity. We’re fighting to be the ones that tell our own story. IG – @epbordercoalition