Open Letter To El Paso County Commissioners Court About Using Taxpayer Money For “Know Your Rights” Pamphlet For Undocumented Immigrants

El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar wants the County to put out a "know your rights" pamphlet for undocumented immigrants. Escobar says the case of Irving Gonzalez, a transgender undocumented immigrant woman who was arrested by ICE agents after filing a protective order at the County Courthouse has frightened the undocumented immigrant community. Our news partners, KVIA, reported that the measure to investigate what the pamphlet would look like was approved this week by Commissioners Court, but our elected officials need to know a couple of things from their constituents:

1. Undocumented immigrants are not your constituents - Escobar said she wants her undocumented constituents to know their rights. I think what they need to know is they can call law enforcement if there is a crime being committed against them, but if they are criminals, they should expect to be dealt with accordingly. Yes, being undocumented is breaking the law, but I think dangerous crimes should be the focus of law enforcement.

2. El Paso Taxpayers already foot the bill for quite a bit - UMC, schools, roads, etc. All those things are used by undocumented immigrants, and while they might pay taxes, El Paso taxpayers are footing the majority of the bill.

Undocumented immigrants can call the police if there is a crime being committed against them, just like the rest of us. I just don't see the purpose behind spending potentially thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to do something that immigrants rights activists already do.