EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss and possibly approve a resolution at its meerting on Monday, Feb. 3 that would “reaffirm El Paso County’s commitment to respect the constitutional rights of all persons within the County and to seek dignified treatment of all.”
This comes on the heels of a slew of executive orders and directives in the first two weeks of the new Trump Administration in Washington, many of which deal with immigration and border enforcement.
Commissioners Court will meet at 9:30 a.m. Monday on the third floor of the County Courthourse, 500 E. San Antonio.
Commissioners Court has tentatively scheduled a news conference at 10 a.m. Monday to talk about the resolution.
The Commissioners Court agenda says the resolution is “in response to the new administration’s recent executive orders and addresses concerns over the treatment of individuals along the border.”
The resolution reads in part:
“WHEREAS, this federal administration’s attempts to unilaterally overhaul U.S. immigration policy and border security will result in the further militarization of communities like El Paso and likely lead to the illegal profiling of residents of Hispanic descent. These actions pose economic, social, and legal challenges and have the potential to cause irreparable harm to the economy and social fabric of this community;
“and, WHEREAS, this federal administration’s attempt to scapegoat all immigrants for the actions of a few will undermine the public’s trust in government institutions and law enforcement, making it less likely that the public will feel comfortable reporting crime and cooperating with law enforcement;
“and, WHEREAS, El Paso County affirms its commitment to speaking out and against unlawful actions and has already done so by filing amicus briefs opposing the end of birthright citizenship and opposing efforts to close the local shelter, Annunciation House;
“and, WHEREAS, while El Paso County abides by local and state laws to keep our community safe, we affirm our commitment to protecting members of our community against unjust discrimination and abuse at the hands of government.”
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