12000 Starcrest Drive, Suite #101, San Antonio, Texas 78247
(210) 824-9445
For Immediate Release:
San Antonio, Texas, April 15, 2021: The Republican Party of Bexar (RPBC) joins the voices across the state to raise the alarm over the catastrophe taking place along the border, throughout south Texas and right here in our own county. We are calling for a full investigation and a walk-through of the facility with full access to the officials in charge alongside Republican elected officials. We reject the politicization of this humanitarian and security crisis. We support the Texas Department of Public Safety’s investigation into the alleged abuses here in our own Freeman Coliseum. We unequivocally call for the Biden Administration to shut down the facility at Freeman Coliseum to protect the safety of the unaccompanied minors, and we implore the President and Congress swiftly address the securing of our national border to mitigate the ongoing and unprecedented humanitarian crisis that is taking place there.
What is happening right now at our nation’s southern border is both a travesty of justice and a humanitarian tragedy beyond all comprehension. While politicians in Washington debate the use of the word “crisis” to describe the ongoing situation, Texans understand that what is happening now has risen to the unprecedented level of human tragedy bringing safety and public health concerns. In March of this year alone, more than 171,000 illegal immigrants were encountered at our southwest border. This number represents a more than 400% increase over this time last year. This is the highest monthly total seen in 21 years, and, these were only the people encountered. Countless more stream across every single day, threatening the peace and the property of citizens and draining local law enforcement resources—putting the lives of Texans in jeopardy every day. This catastrophe has already spread away from the border, with “bailouts, high-speed car chases, and property crime on the rise throughout small communities surrounding San Antonio and south Texas.
Specifically troubling are reports of abuse and neglect within the Freeman Coliseum federal holding facility that have thrust San Antonio into the national spotlight. The Coliseum is just one of several “temporary” shelters run by federal officials where unaccompanied children are being thrown together by the thousands across the state, often with inadequate supervision and resources. Allegations of child abuse, lack of food, and the failure to separate Covid-positive children have all been reported to both the Texas Health & Human Services Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services. These allegations are currently under investigation by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Yet, in a despicable effort to politicize children for their own gain, some politicians and people within our own county have called this “fake news”; therefore, increasing the need for a complete walk-through and investigation.
As the fourth largest county in Texas and 17th largest in the nation, Bexar County has long been known as a hub of diversity, tradition, and innovation. In our communities, multiple cultures have lived, worked, and worshiped side by side for centuries. We come together as one with pride in being Military City, USA, and with pride in being Americans. It is for this very reason that so many in Bexar County are outraged in the abject failure of the Biden Administration’s border policy, and Congress’ flagrant disregard of our national security and our laws.
This is beyond a partisan issue. Therefore, I support Governor Abbott in conducting a full and transparent investigation. For the reasons stated above, I am calling for a walkthrough and conference with Republican elected officials at the Freeman Coliseum with the officials in charge of the Freeman Coliseum.
For additional comments, please contact John Austin, Chairman, Republican Party of Bexar County John Austin, (210) 824-9445 – Chairman@bexargop.org
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