Democratic border-town mayor: Biden admin handling of crisis ‘a slap in the face’
RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas — He’s putting people over his party.
The Democratic mayor of a southern border town says he’s incensed over the Biden administration’s handling of the immigration crisis in his backyard — and he’s “pleading” with Washington to do more to stem the stream of migrants pouring into his small city.
“You have a breach on national security levels that have never before been seen in modern history and you’re not even batting an eye about it, you’re not even calling it a ‘crisis‘, you’re calling it a quote unquote challenge,” Mayor Bruno Lozano, a Democrat who represents Del Rio, Texas, told The Post on Sunday.
“It’s a slap in the face.”
Lozano, 38, represents the small locale of just over 35,000 residents and has been trying to get President Biden’s attention since February.
Just before a historic winter storm that left millions without power and killed 57 hit the state, he sent the president a video asking him not to send migrants to the community because he didn’t have the resources necessary.
“Mr. President my name is Bruno Lozano, mayor of the city of Del Rio, Texas, and I am pleading and requesting with you to please put a halt to any measures regarding the release of immigrants awaiting court dates into the city of Del Rio and surrounding areas,” Lozano says as footage of empty store shelves and grocery store lines plays in the background.
“We do not have the resources available to house and accommodate these migrants within our community… If you do send these individuals into our community, we will be forced to make a decision to leave them without resources under these dire circumstances. I’m asking to please stop, please make another plan for this federal issue.”
Despite best efforts, Lozano said the request “fell on deaf ears” and over a month later, the only thing that’s changed is the number of migrants streaming into his small community, which is currently around 150 a day.
“I’m not trying to demonize the humanitarian aspect by any means but my responsibility is to the city of Del Rio and the residents of Del Rio, Texas, my responsibilities are to the American people that got me elected,” Lozano explained.