Eagle Pass Residents Demand City Council to Rescind Mayor’s Criminal Trespass Affidavit Designating Shelby Park as ‘Private Property’
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2023.
On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, Eagle Pass, Texas residents will hold a public press conference at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall, 100 S. Monroe Street, to demand the Eagle Pass City Council rescind Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr.’s signed Criminal Trespass Affidavit designating the city-owned Shelby Park as “private property” and authorizing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to enforce the state’s misdemeanor criminal trespass statute against migrants seeking asylum in the United States after crossing the Rio Grande through the public park as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star Program.
The Eagle Pass City Council convenes at 5:30 p.m. in a regular meeting to discuss in Executive Session an agenda item (No. 24) regarding Mayor Salinas’ Criminal Trespass Affidavit that designates Shelby Park as “private property” so as to authorize DPS Troopers enforce the state’s criminal trespass statute, Section 30.05 of the Texas Penal Code, against migrants seeking asylum who cross the Rio Grande from Mexico through the city-owned public park.
Mayor Salinas has previously acknowledged he signed the Criminal Trespass Affidavit at the request of a state prosecutor without taking the issue before City Council. Subsequently, Mayor Salinas claims he signed the affidavit under the City’s emergency declarations powers.
Eagle Pass residents contend Mayor Salinas unilateral signing of the affidavit is in violation of state law concerning the changing of a public park’s designation and use, particularly Chapter 26 of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code, the Texas Open Meetings Act, fails to provide notice and a hearing to the public, lacks transparency, and does not fall within the City’s emergency declarations powers.
Eagle Pass residents are currently not allowed access, use, and enjoyment of their city-owned Shelby Park and public boat ramp without the express consent of DPS’ Operation Lone Star Superiors. DPS has taken over control, use, and possession of the public park as its command and staging center for Operation Lone Star in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass, now referred to as “Fort Abbott” by local residents.
Eagle Pass residents also have expressed concerns with DPS’ bulldozing of an island in the Rio Grande and construction of a security post in its place, the placement of military-grade concertina wiring along the banks of the Rio Grande and inside the river, the use of metal storage containers on the river bank, the installation of a floating buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, damage to public and private properties, and the militarization of Eagle Pass into a “war zone.”
Many Eagle Pass residents are genuinely concerned that all these controversial border security measures are drawing unwanted national and international attention to the once peaceful and tranquil community that may potentially affect the health and safety of its citizens.
The Eagle Pass City Council will return into open session to discuss and take possible action concerning the disputed Criminal Trespass Affidavit after their executive session deliberations.
A large contingency of Eagle Passans and supporters are expected to attend the City Council meeting on August 1, 2023 and speak during the Citizens Communications agenda.
