TX. Rio Grande City Mayor Demands Feds Stop Flow of Illegal Aliens
Rio Grande City Mayor Demands Feds Stop Flow of Illegal Immigrants
Posted: Jun 4, 2014 7:18 PM
Updated: Jun 4, 2014 7:18 PM
RIO GRANDE CITY - The federal government's approach to the surge of unaccompanied children crossing illegally into the United States is a mistake, the Rio Grande City mayor said.
Mayor Ruben Villarreal said the feds need to stop the immigrants before they cross into the United States.
Rio Grande City residents said they are being forced to cope with the wave of illegal immigrants.
Verenice Zertuche said she found illegal immigrants in her backyard. She lives just a few hundred yards away from the Rio Grande.
"They tried to come in the car ... we were inside. I just drove away and called the cops," Zertuche said.
Zertuche said she keeps the doors locked at her aunt and uncle's home.
She agrees with Villarreal that illegal immigration is getting out of hand.
"The amount of people coming in went from five or 10 to 30," Villarreal said.
Villarreal said the government's plan to handle the increase of unaccompanied undocumented children is wrong. He said the government needs to spend more to keep illegal immigrants out and less time and money keeping them here.
He said his officers work in conjunction with Border Patrol. The city gets about $100,000 dollars for overtime from the federal government for helping Border Patrol.
Villarreal said they need more money to increase the number of boots on the ground.
"Give us an opportunity to hire new officers, that way we protect our interests and we have a good supply of officers," Villarreal said.
He said many of his officers eventually join the Border Patrol.
The Rio Grande City Police Department has 27 officers. Villarreal estimates that he needs another 10 to respond to the needs at the border.
http://www.krgv.com/news/rio-grande-...al-immigrants/
