EAGLE PASS, Texas — Congressman Tony Gonzales (R-TX) told reporters during a Monday press conference that Uvalde schools are under lockdown three to four times a week as migrant smugglers lead law enforcement on vehicle pursuits through the town. Gonzales and several other House members toured Uvalde and the region near Eagle Pass.
Gonzales said the tour involved a roundtable discussion with law enforcement, first responders, elected officials, and other community members from Uvalde, Kinney, Zavala, and Frio Counties.
The frequency of school safety lockdowns was an example of the impacts of increased migration on the community, according to Gonzales. “It’s been nearly 10 months since the Uvalde school shooting happened, and every single week in Uvalde County, the schools are going into lockdown three or four times a week — imagine if that’s in your community that just had this horrific incident where we had 21 innocent lives were murdered.” Gonzales says he was told the parents of local students are horrified when they receive lockdown alerts.
In September 2022, a fatal crash involving a migrant smuggler claimed the lives of two and injured 10 others near a memorial honoring the victims of the Robb Elementary Shooting. Uvalde police deployed a tire deflation device to prevent a truck from continuing through the town. The suspect’s truck eventually crashed into a tractor-trailer and another vehicle.
The congressional visit led by Gonzales included Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Erin Houchin (R-IN), and James Moylan (R-Guam). The group toured the border and visited a Border Patrol Processing facility in Uvalde used exclusively to process unaccompanied migrant children.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
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