Texas-Mexico Border Fence Delay
Last Edited: Wednesday, 02 Jul 2008, 11:12 AM CDT
Created: Wednesday, 02 Jul 2008, 11:12 AM CDT

After hours of heated debate, city commissioners voted to delay an agreement with the federal government on the border fence late Tuesday.

Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada, an outspoken fence opponent, urged city commissioners to reject a proposal from the Department of Homeland Security to build a temporary fence on 10 acres of city land that could be removed if the city adapted its levees to meet security requirements.

A similar deal has been struck in neighboring Hidalgo County.

Instead Ahumada settled for a 5-1 vote to delay the issue, a victory for fence opponents.

During a private meeting before the public hearing, Ahumada said commissioners who support the deal berated and threatened him.

"We have a commission that is a runaway commission," Ahumada said. "We don't want a fence -- period."

Ahumada said Commissioner Anthony Troiani threatened to have him removed from executive session and bring criminal charges for violating the confidentiality of the closed portion of the meeting.

"They're going to put the (permanent) wall up if we don't come up with an alternative," Troiani said in a story in Wednesday's online edition of The Brownsville Herald.

During the public hearing, some Brownsville residents who oppose the border fence shouted "No Deal" and some were told by police officers to leave their "No Border Wall" signs outside the meeting.

Loren Flossman, project manager for the Department of Homeland Security's Secure Border Initiative, introduced the border fence plan and said it would allow a removable fence to be built on the city's land.

The plan would hand over 10 acres of municipal property, valued at $95,800, to the federal government at no cost. In return, the temporary barrier could be removed, and property returned, once the city reinforces 2.4 miles of levees. The city has not yet acquired funds to pay for levee reinforcement.

Monica Weisberg-Stewart, immigration chair for the Texas Border Coalition, told the Commission to "approach these issues with caution with DHS."

John Moore, a representative of the Border Ambassadors, said he received 123 signed testimonies from landowners along the border who oppose the fence.
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