HOUSTON, Texas–Murrieta, California has become the center of national attention, after furious anti-illegal immigration protesters stood up to federal authorities who attempted to transport hundreds of undocumented aliens there from South Texas. “Pro-amnesty” protesters remain at the scene, and charge that those resisting the illegal immigrants’ arrival are “racist.” They also allegedly targeted Border Patrol agents with such verbal attacks.
Tanya Burkholder, a Murrieta resident, told Breitbart Texas that many of the pro-amnesty protesters yelled at Border Patrol agents on the scene, calling them racists. She added that many of the protesters lived far away from Murrieta, and held signs accusing townspeople who rejected the illegal immigrants of being racist.
Laura Kohl, a pro-amnesty protester, traveled more than 30 miles to Murrieta to voice her support for the migrants. She said of the Murrieta residents protesting the arrival of the illegal immigrants, “A lot of racism is thrown around by [the protesters]. It’s horrible for the [illegal immigrant] kids to have to see. They’re already victims.”
“All this racist stuff, it stops progress,” she continued. “The immigrants are victims of the whole system. We cant hold them accountable–children are not responsible for being homeless and looking for a safe place to stay. These people are here because they need our help and some kind of humanitarian response.”
Kohl said, “We need to allow them to get here, to Murrieta, and give them resources.”
Murrieta resident Rob Garza told Breitbart Texas that some of the pro-amnesty individuals hurled nasty attacks at him because he is a minority and does not support the shipment of illegal immigrants. “I was called ‘coconut’ and ‘traitor,'” he said.
Jeremy Oliver, a resident of Temecula, California–a town that neighbors Murrieta–vehemently denied the assertion that residents in the area are racist. “The people of this community are not racist,” he told Breitbart Texas. He added that the local residents are typically very welcoming, but that in this instance they are being taken advantage of.
Oliver said, “If this was one busload of refugees, this town would come together and take care of these kids. Even if it was 10 busloads they would do it. But when you ask the government, ‘When is it going to end?’ they wont tell you. So how do you deal with the problem they wont tell you the extent of it?”
Oliver and others expressed frustration to Breitbart Texas that many of the pro-amnesty protesters don’t live in or near Murrieta–and thus wouldn’t have to share the full burden of the newcomers.
John Henry, a Murrieta resident since 1991, has been protesting the illegal immigrants’ arrival for the past week. He told Breitbart Texas, “This is a small town–it’s mostly conservative–and the federal government knows that. The main reason a lot of us are out here protesting is because we do not want these people being dumped into our small town where we do not have programs or the resources to take care of them properly.”
Henry said residents in the area are additionally concerned about the threat of possible diseases being brought by the migrants.
Breitbart Texas recently reported on an outbreak of scabies in one housing facility for unaccompanied border minors–the infestation was contracted by numerous Border Patrol agents. Other additional illnesses have also been noted. “We are starting to see chickenpox, MRSA staph infections, we are starting to see different viruses,” Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol agent Chris Cabrera reportedly said.
“Medical concerns are a bogus issue,” Kohl said. “How can we make sure these children are being taken care of? That’s the real issue.”
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate.
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