Motorcycle accident leaves one dead
Brownsville police continue to investigate an early morning motorcycle accident that left the operator of the motorcycle dead. The accident happened at about 2 a.m. Monday at the 3700 block of Charmaine Street, said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesperson for Brownsville Police Department. Sandoval said a 20-year-old man was driving the motorcycle and lost control. “The male subject had no pulse as officers arrived on the scene,” Sandoval said. Sandoval said the accident is still under investigation, and the identification of the man is still pending.
myrgv.comGood Neighbor practiced actionable faith reaching 70 years fighting homelessness in RGV
“Our soup kitchen is the heart of Good Neighbor,” the executive director said. Nine people were also able to find permanent shelter through the help of the Good Neighbor Settlement House staff, Dominguez said. In 2018, Good Neighbor opened its doors to shelter migrants overnight, but after the pandemic shifted needs and changed capacity limits, their assistance changed. Dominguez credits the experienced staff and dedicated volunteers who support Good Neighbor with their time and talents. Special guests will be preparing special food, providing haircuts and medical services to Good Neighbor Settlement House residents throughout the week.
myrgv.comBody of missing Brownsville man recovered
Authorities on Friday recovered the body of a 68-year-old Brownsville man, who has been missing since about Jan. 14. “The body was found across the street from where he lived.”Garcia’s body was recovered at about 3:45 p.m. and an autopsy has been ordered. The Brownsville man’s family notified Brownsville PD that he was missing, and the department placed a missing person’s alert on Garcia on Jan. 14. Any information contact Brownsville PD,” and provides the police department’s phone number. Garcia still had his wallet on him and that is how police were able to identify as the man that had been reported missing, Sandoval said.
myrgv.comMore than 5,000 U.S. flights canceled due to weather, including Valley stops
Valley International, McAllen and Brownsville-South Padre Island airports have all had flights canceled over the past two days, with a number of others delayed. American Airlines canceled more than 800 flights Wednesday, 28 percent of its daily flights, and Southwest Airlines canceled 672, about 17 percent of total daily flights. Dallas-Fort Worth, Dallas Love Field and Austin had the most outbound flights canceled nationwide Wednesday, totaling 651, 197 and 176, respectively. Here in the Valley, the Dallas and Austin disruptions have led to more than a dozen cancellations at Valley International Airport. On Tuesday, seven flights were canceled, and on Wednesday another seven flights never made it to VIA.
myrgv.comSheriff’s Dept: Woman hid Xanax pills inside bra, groin area
Cameron County sheriff’s deputies have arrested a woman accused of trying to smuggle 385.8 grams of Xanax across the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. Authorities said Ashley Nicole Padron, 25, hid the Xanax pills in her bra and in her groin area, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. It was at the inspection area and a search of Padron where authorities found a bag containing Xanax pills inside “her brassiere,” the news release said. CBP officers found a plastic bottle containing additional Xanax pills concealed in Padron’s groin area. The case was turned over to the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department and Padron was taken into custody and charged with possession of a controlled substance.
myrgv.com‘Magical space’: Trio transforms former Galeria 409
A key aspect of Curio 409 is that it’s ever changing. Galeria 409 operated until 2018 and Clark has since moved to Corpus Christi to open Mi Vida Loca Gallery. “I wanted to offer in our community a platform for artists, local talent, just anybody that has something beautiful to offer and celebrate all the local people, things, crafts, art,” Edge said. Alexandra Pelaez, former owner of Alex & Raw Boutique, joined the Curio 409 team about a year ago and serves as on-site manager. For now, she and her team are focused on cultivating Curio 409 as a place of and for Brownsville.
myrgv.com‘Magical space’: Trio transforms former Galeria 409
A key aspect of Curio 409 is that it’s ever changing. Galeria 409 operated until 2018 and Clark has since moved to Corpus Christi to open Mi Vida Loca Gallery. “I wanted to offer in our community a platform for artists, local talent, just anybody that has something beautiful to offer and celebrate all the local people, things, crafts, art,” Edge said. Alexandra Pelaez, former owner of Alex & Raw Boutique, joined the Curio 409 team about a year ago and serves as on-site manager. For now, she and her team are focused on cultivating Curio 409 as a place of and for Brownsville.
myrgv.comBrownsville cathedral opened doors to emergency shelter as need grows among immigrant families
BROWNSVILLE – A familiar opportunity knocked at the door of a Brownsville church last Christmas Eve when a journey-worn family sought shelter from the church in the midst of their holiday mass. Maria Carolina, a Venezuelan mother who preferred not to share a last name for safety reasons, remembered feeling a little more than the expected emotions that came with finally setting foot on U.S. soil. “It was so close, but it felt so far because we didn’t know the address,” Maria Carolina said. By the time they reached the church, Maria Carolina was finally able to distinguish excitement from pain. Bishop Flores said they keep close watch on the needs to determine if they will need to operate the temporary shelter on long term.
myrgv.comBrownsville cathedral opened doors to emergency shelter as need grows among immigrant families
BROWNSVILLE — A familiar opportunity knocked at the door of a lcoal church last Christmas Eve when a journey-worn family sought shelter in the midst of their holiday Mass. Maria Carolina, a Venezuelan mother who preferred not to share a last name for safety reasons, remembered feeling a little more than the expected emotions that came with finally setting foot on U.S. soil. “It was so close, but it felt so far because we didn’t know the address,” Maria Carolina said. By the time they reached the church, Maria Carolina was finally able to distinguish excitement from pain. Bishop Flores said they keep close watch on their needs to determine if they will need to operate the temporary shelter on long term.
myrgv.comJames Beard taps Las Ramblas: Brownsville bar makes ‘Outstanding Bar’ semifinals
Downtown Brownsville cocktail lounge Las Ramblas at Market Square has been selected as a semifinalist for a 2023 James Beard Foundation award in the Outstanding Bar category. Co-owner Michael Limas said the business has been enjoying some momentum with a recent article in Texas Highways, and that the recognition helps showcase Brownsville talent. The Outstanding Bar category isn’t limited to cocktail lounges but also includes beer and wine bars — even coffee bars — as long as beverages are the primary offering. Limas wondered weather Las Ramblas’ community involvement, such as hosting cocktail competitions for instance, could have helped it in the eyes of the judges. Five finalists will be announced in March and the final winners revealed at the JBF Awards ceremony in Chicago in June.
myrgv.comNiche filled: Traditional bookstore opens in downtown Brownsville
It was through these visits with organization members that he learned there was something many in Brownsville yearned for but was missing: a traditional bookstore. Fast forward from those meetings, the 27-year-old Brownsville native opened the first traditional bookstore in this city with a population of about 186,000 plus. Although there’s a Catholic bookstore in Brownsville, a used bookstore in Harlingen, and a couple of bookstores in the Laguna Madre area, there was no bookstore that could fill the niche that Brownsville book lovers needed. The idea of opening a bookstore in Brownsville came to Hernandez while he was in the shower on Jan. 8, 2022, he recalled. Soon it will be a watering hole.”“This gives Brownsville a little taste of the bookstore experience,” he said.
myrgv.comDeadline to pay property taxes without being delinquent fast approaching
Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre Jr. is reminding taxpayers that all 2022 taxes are due by Jan. 31, and after that, they become delinquent. Approximately 79.03% of property taxes have already been collected. “It is very important to pay all property taxes because our office will continue with aggressive collection programs this year,” Yzaguirre said. Taxes can be paid over the internet, by mail or in person at one of the nine county taxes located throughout Cameron County. >> Brownsville Tax Office: 835 E. Levee St.>> Harlingen Branch Office: 3302 Wilson Rd.
myrgv.comMcDonald’s Hispanic owner-operators inform, treat Lopez students
Students at Lopez Early College High School are getting major encouragement from McDonald’s Hispanic owner-operators to apply for college scholarships and specifically some $500,000 in McDonald’s 2022-2023 HACER National Scholarships.
myrgv.comMcDonald’s Hispanic owner-operators inform, treat Lopez students
Students at Lopez Early College High School are getting major encouragement from McDonald’s Hispanic owner-operators to apply for college scholarships and specifically some $500,000 in McDonald’s 2022-2023 HACER National Scholarships. She added that the Hispanic McDonald’s owner-operators’ stories “match our stories as far as coming up from humble homes, low socio-economic status, just the struggle, because they struggled, but they made it. “The HACER Scholarship was created by the Hispanic McDonald’s owner-operators. “GEAR UP is a program that helps students that maybe are first generation college students or maybe come from low socioeconomic homes, to help them get motivated for college. “It can be college, university, a certification program, but we want our kids to be ready for their future.
myrgv.comBrownsville man admits to smuggling cocaine; says it was his first time
A Brownsville man arrested for allegedly smuggling cocaine from Mexico into the United State said it was the first time he had smuggled drugs across the border, a federal criminal complaint reads. Juan Trevino Naranjo, born in 1972, also told U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers that he was being paid to smuggle cocaine. Trevino Naranjo appeared Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III, who ordered he be held without bond. According to the federal criminal complaint, Trevino Naranjo was attempting to cross into the U.S. from Mexico via the Free Trade Bridge in Los Indio Tuesday morning. The truck was X-rayed and officers found bundles, which were later determined to be cocaine, stored behind the backseat, the criminal complaint states.
myrgv.comMan arrested for placing tracking device on woman’s vehicle
Placing a tracking device on the vehicle belonging to the mother of his baby has lead to the arrest of a Brownsville man on a charge of unlawful installation of a tracking device. The mother filed the complaint on Jan. 10 and stated she had found a GPS tracking device on her vehicle, according to the release. According to the news release, the woman became suspicious and “after inspecting her vehicle, the victim found an Apple Airtag tracking device that was placed by Reagan,” the news release stated. After conducting an investigation, it was discovered that the tracking device was registered to Reagan’s phone number. Cameron County sheriff’s investigators were able to make contact with Reagan and obtain a confession, the news release stated.
myrgv.comBrownsville joins push against South Texas ISD taxing authority
Trustees with the Brownsville school district on Tuesday approved a resolution taking aim at South Texas ISD’s funding structure after that district dug in its heels against a legislative push to eliminate its taxing authority, which began last week. South Texas ISD, meanwhile, is arming faculty and staff with talking points justifying its funding structure that it says employees can share with legislators to aid its resistance to change. South Texas ISD currently taxes residents in Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties in a system that critics say charges taxpayers unfairly and pushes an uneven amount of money toward the district. Brownsville ISD’s resolution says South Texas ISD collects $3.13 million from taxpayers and enrolls less than 4% of special education students, whom it was originally meant to serve when it was created in the 1960s. The letter argues that critics of the district’s funding structure are deceiving the public and urged the community to unite against the reform push.
myrgv.comIn Service to Others
About 50 volunteers from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley joined day-to-day operations at Brownsville’s Good Neighbor Settlement House on Monday, the National Day of Service honoring civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Karen Castillo, a senior special education major from Brownsville was one of them. She said she had been unaware of the GNSH, and that she was glad she had volunteered during the national service day. “We’re a soup kitchen, we’re a food pantry, we have our welcome center downtown. In all, about 100 UTRGV students, staff and faculty volunteered their time to four social causes across the Valley in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his vision of a “beloved community.”Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act in 1994, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday as a National Day of Service. At the Salvation Army soup kitchen in McAllen, volunteers prepared and served food, while also helping hang clothes, restock shelves and cleaning at the agency’s family store.
myrgv.comLongtime Los Fresnos volunteer assistant fire chief retires
But while working for the Brownsville Fire Department, Sheldon also served as a volunteer with the Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department at the same time. For the last 42 years, Sheldon has served as a volunteer firefighter, assistant fire chief and fire chief for the Los Fresnos Volunteer Fire Department. He also served 34 ½ years as fire marshal for the city of Los Fresnos. Earlier this month, he was recognized as the 2022 citizen of the year for the City of Los Fresnos. Geronimo Sheldon remembers the first fire station he worked at in Los Fresnos had three little stalls.
myrgv.comWoman arrested on injury and child endangerment charges
A 33-year-old Brownsville woman was arrested by police after she was accused of striking another woman who was holding her 2-year-old daughter in her arms. Ofelia Christine Monares, 33, is charged and arrested on warrants charging her with assault, injury to a child, criminal mischief, and child endangerment. Monares started to punch the victim several times while the victim was carrying the child,” Sandoval said. “Monares started scratching the victim’s face and struck the child’s head. Monares continued the assault without any concern for the child,” Sandoval said.
myrgv.comSouth Texas Latina-owned business makes national debut at Target for Hispanic Heritage Month
After years of hard work and dedication, a small South Texas Latina-owned business has made its national debut with hopes of inspiring Latinos across the U.S with its exclusive new collection at Target stores.
Texas needs to do more to help Hispanic students graduate from college, university leaders say
In a Texas Tribune event Tuesday, university leaders discussed why Hispanic students finish higher education programs at a lower rate than the state average but have better performance in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso.
After months of store closures and layoffs, border businesses eager to welcome back Mexican customers Nov. 8
For 19 months, business owners along the Texas-Mexico border have seen a drastic drop in customers because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. With land borders scheduled to reopen Nov. 8, they are banking on a return to pre-pandemic sales.
Brownsville mayor responds to Elon Musk’s promise of millions in donations
On Tuesday, Elon Musk said on Twitter that he would donate $20 million to Cameron County schools and $10 million to the City of Brownsville for “downtown revitalization.” The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX said he would release more details next week.
U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, whose seat is targeted by Republicans in 2022, says he will not seek reelection
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, emerged as a Republican target in 2022 after President Donald Trump performed better than expected along the Texas-Mexico border. Vela was first elected in 2012 and represents much of the South Texas Gulf Coast. Ad"Filemon was extremely dedicated to the people of South Texas during the time he has served in Congress," Borjon added. Vela won reelection in 2020 by nearly 14 percentage points in a district that has generally been considered safe for Democrats. AdBorjon acknowledged that the race to replace him will likely be tougher than in the past, given Republicans' over-performance in South Texas.
Emergency sites for migrant children raising safety concerns
A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. President Joe Biden’s administration has been sharply criticized for its response to a surge in crossings of unaccompanied immigrant children. “I feel like I have to wait and try again.”The Biden administration is not expelling immigrant children unaccompanied by a parent or legal guardian. But Pfluger and other Midland officials said the Biden administration wasn’t answering their questions or giving them assurance that officials would keep the surrounding community safe. HHS opened the Midland site without notifying some top local officials who say many of their questions aren't being answered.
Republicans seize on immigration as border crossings surge
Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping the migrants reach their final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. Still, the encounters of both unaccompanied minors and families remain lower than at various points during the Trump administration, including in spring 2019. They deride the policies Trump implemented to deter asylum as cruel and inhumane and an abdication of the country’s humanitarian responsibilities. "The Trump administration did everything in their power for four years to make the already broken immigration system as cumbersome and ineffective as possible. ... You leave yourself nowhere to go.”Ad“They’re kind of stuck in a corner,” agreed Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank, which advocates on behalf of more restrictive immigration policies.
Republicans seize on immigration as border crossings surge
Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping the migrants reach their final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. Still, the encounters of both unaccompanied minors and families remain lower than at various points during the Trump administration, including in spring 2019. They deride the policies Trump implemented to deter asylum as cruel and inhumane and an abdication of the country’s humanitarian responsibilities. "The Trump administration did everything in their power for four years to make the already broken immigration system as cumbersome and ineffective as possible. ... You leave yourself nowhere to go.”Ad“They’re kind of stuck in a corner,” agreed Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies think tank, which advocates on behalf of more restrictive immigration policies.
Gov. Greg Abbott rejects aid from Biden administration in dispute over coronavirus testing for migrants
Abbott and Biden have been fighting for days over coronavirus safety protocols and whose actions have been putting the health of Texans at risk. After Abbott announced this week that he was lifting Texas' statewide mask mandate and capacity restrictions on businesses, Biden called that decision "Neanderthal thinking." Ad"The Biden Administration is recklessly releasing hundreds of illegal immigrants who have COVID into Texas communities," Abbott wrote in one tweet Wednesday afternoon. He argued in a statement that border security is “strictly a federal responsibility,” and thus the Biden administration alone should "test, screen, and quarantine" migrants who may have COVID-19. “Instead of doing their job, the Biden Administration suggested it did not have the sufficient resources and, remarkably, asked Texas to assist them in aiding their illegal immigration program,” Abbott said.
Woman accused of sending Trump ricin charged in Texas
(Hidalgo County (Texas) Sheriff's Office, via AP)BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A Canadian woman accused of mailing packages containing the deadly poison ricin to the White House and several Texas law enforcement agencies has been indicted on new federal charges of making interstate threats and violating prohibitions on biological weapons. A grand jury in Brownsville, Texas, on Monday handed up sixteen counts against Pascale Ferrier, court records show. In September, Ferrier pleaded not guilty to making threats against President Donald Trump by mailing a package containing ricin to the White House after she was arrested at the U.S.-Canada border. Ferrier is also alleged to have sent ricin to six detention centers and law enforcement agencies in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The package was intercepted before it reached the White House.
New Tesla location coming to Brownsville, mayor confirms
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Brownsville will get a new 14,000-square-foot Tesla location, Mayor Trey Mendez confirmed on Sunday. Mendez said the announcement was the culmination of “months of secrecy” and that the project shows that “Brownsville is undoubtedly the innovation capital of the RGV.” The Tesla location will feature a service area and showroom. After several months of secrecy, we can finally reveal that we are getting a Tesla location in Brownsville. The city of Brownsville is nearest to SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s Boca Chica launch facility. Related: Tesla seeks to sell $5B in stock; CEO Elon Musk moves to Texas
U.S. Supreme Court will hear cases on border wall funding, "remain in Mexico" policy
In the border wall funding case, the high court will consider a challenge to the Trump administration's use of about $2.5 billion earmarked to pay members of the U.S. military to instead fund construction of part of his long-promised wall on the southern border. That case, Sierra Club v. Trump, was brought by the ACLU on behalf of the Sierra Club and the Southern Border Communities Coalition. Gloria Smith, managing attorney at the Sierra Club, said the Supreme Court will hear the larger case that challenges the use of both types of Pentagon funding. "Stopping this wasteful and irreversible damage is long overdue, and we look forward to making our case before the Supreme Court,” she said in a statement. Implemented as a way to deter migrants from seeking asylum, the policy has sent about 60,000 asylum seekers, most of them from Central America and Cuba, across the southern border.
Mexican army finds unfinished tunnel under Rio Grande
MEXICO CITY The Mexican army said Thursday that soldiers patrolling along the Rio Grande river have found an unfinished tunnel that was apparently dug under the river bed in a bid to reach U.S. territory. The army said a small pump was found at the mouth of the structure and was apparently used to clear water from it. The army said the tunnel was found earlier this week near the city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas. The tunnel was apparently used for illegal activities. The river, known in Mexico as the Rio Bravo, is a frequent crossing point for drugs and migrant smuggling.
Texas county threatened with lawsuit over COVID-19 order
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Efforts by officials in one South Texas county to delay the start of face-to-face classes due to the coronavirus pandemic could face a legal challenge on claims of religious freedom. But attorneys for two private religious schools have told the county that the order is unlawful and goes against Republican Gov. Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said First Liberty is misconstruing the county’s order regarding schools as an attack on religious freedom. The number of reported coronavirus cases in Texas increased by 3,493 and there were 104 more deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, Texas health officials reported Sunday. State health officials reported 114,391 active cases of the virus and that 451,776 people have recovered.
This Day in Weather History: August 10th
It was on this day in 1980 that Hurricane Allen made landfall just north of Brownsville. The hurricane achieved Category 5 status three separate times (the only Atlantic hurricane to do so). It also ranks as one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes with sustained winds near 190 mph at its peak. When Allen made landfall, it had weakened to a Category 3 storm. Still, it brought damaging winds and torrential rainfall.
SpaceX's Mars test rocket makes 1st flight, landing upright
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. SpaceX launched a prototype of its Mars rocketship hundreds of feet into the air, then landed it upright in a successful test flight. Mars is looking real, SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk tweeted after the short hop. Progress is accelerating.Musk said several more short hops are planned before a test version of Starship aims for a high altitude. On Sunday, SpaceX safely returned two NASA astronauts from the International Space Station following a two-month test flight. We're going to send people to Mars and make life multi-planetary," Musk said following splashdown.
Hanna's rain remains biggest threat to virus hot spot Texas
Chris Headen battles with his umbrellas as Hurricane Hanna begins to make landfall, Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Corpus Christi, Texas. Some areas in South Texas had already reported receiving up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain, including Cameron County, which borders Mexico and where Brownsville is located. First responders in Corpus Christi proactively placed barricades near intersections to have them ready to go if streets began to flood, Mayor Joe McComb said. More than 43,700 people throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Brownsville, were without power Saturday evening, according to AEP Texas. Other counties and cities throughout South Texas had also opened shelters, with many requiring face masks.
Longtime Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. leading over challenger from his left
Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, spoke during during a Senate State Affairs committee hearing on July 23, 2017. According to early returns from the Texas Secretary of State, Lucio was leading Stapleton-Barrera 54%-46%. Another Senate runoff that drew considerable attention was the Democratic race to go against state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. Flores fell short in his bid to upset state Sen. Carlos Uresti for the seat in 2016. As of late Tuesday evening, the special election to replace former state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, remained fluid.
Julin and Joaquin Castro criticize Gov. Greg Abbott for reopening Texas too soon
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, in Brownsville in 2018. "If we'd had a better federal response and state response, perhaps we would have already been around the quarter on this," Julin Castro said. Joaquin Castro said the number of beds, hospitals, and infections could have also been significantly reduced. "We're not saying that there would have been no consequences," Joaquin Castro said. All of the money that has been used is been money that's come from the federal government," Joaquin Castro said.
Exotic bird discovered during human smuggling attempt in Texas, officials say
BROWNSVILLE, TX U.S. Border Patrol announced Monday that they seized an exotic bird while taking a group of people illegally smuggled across the board into custody. As agents arrived to the location, they discovered evidence of several of people who entered the country illegally, CBP said in a statement. Additionally, agents noticed a plastic bag carried by one of the aliens with a live bird inside.After agents inspected the bag they determined the bird to be a toucan. CBP officials stated that while it is uncommon for exotic animals to be discovered in human smuggling attempts, agents rescued a tiger cub stuffed in a duffel bag near Brownsville two years ago. Related: CBP: Agents at World Trade Bridge in Laredo seize over $11 million in narcotics
Report: Massive fire destroys condominium complex on South Padre Island
Published: May 16, 2020, 10:10 am Updated: May 16, 2020, 2:06 pmSOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – A massive fire completely destroyed a condominium complex on South Padre Island Saturday morning, according to a report from KRGV. The Valley Star reported firefighters were working to extinguish the flames by spraying water from a nearby parking garage. Firefighters from South Padre Island, Port Isabel, Los Fresnos and Brownsville were called to the scene to assist in the fire response, per KRGV. Praying it won’t spread 🙏🏼 Posted by Alvaro Costilla on Saturday, May 16, 2020The building was deemed a total loss with damages estimating around $7 million and no injuries were reported, according to KRGV. SAFD: Family of four loses home in massive fire on West Side
Watch all of KSAT’s coverage from the 1,700-mile journey along the U.S.-Mexico border
KSAT is traveling 1,700 miles along the U.S., Mexican border from Brownsville to San Diego to tell the stories about the people who live there and what the recent political climate has done to their day-to-day lives. Our team is also interviewing law enforcement officials, nonprofits and migrants who have crossed the border. Want to know more? Follow along each day as we update these stories:DAY 1See where Tiffany Huertas and Adrian Garcia are headed on the mapImmigrant surrenders to Border Patrol on camera; officials commend ‘zero tolerance policy’READ: Migrant father pens heartfelt letter after separated from daughterAdDAY 2Rio Grande Valley landowners living along the border share experiences with immigrantsDAY 3Undocumented mothers say they left violence; now fearing deportationFear of violence, deportation back in hometown haunts undocumented immigrantsDAY 4Deadline nears for migrant children to be reunited with parentsAdBillboards pushing for migrant family reunifications as deadline nearsDAY 5Deadline arrives for US to reunite migrant families following ‘zero-tolerance' policyEl Paso shelter offers hospitality to reunited migrant familiesCatholic Charities CEO: Reunification of separated families has been learning experienceAdDAY 6How Border Patrol is combating drug cartels, illegal activity from Ciudad JuarézHow officials identify deceased immigrants found along US-Mexico borderPICS: Arizona Sheriff shares images of drug cartel tunnels found in border townDAY 7Nonprofit organization receiving teddy bears for migrant children separated from familiesAdVolunteers hike deadly desert mountains to place water for migrantsFamilies separated at border reunite briefly in San Diego park
Undocumented mothers say they left violence; now fearing deportation
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The stories of two undocumented mothers from separate countries may be different, but the constant emotion of living in fear is the same. She said the violence in her hometown has continued with her niece and cousin recently being kidnapped. “Me procupa que me separen de mis hijas (I'm worried about being separated from my daughters),” Heidi said. Heidi said she left her country to not only escape the violence but also poverty. “Que dios no los abandone (May God not abandon them).”AdAccording to the Center for Immigration Studies, the undocumented population was 10.8 million in 2016.
READ: Migrant father pens heartfelt letter after separated from daughter
Eileen Blessinger said she has collected more than 30 letters written by parents being kept in the Port Isabel Detention Center. Blessinger shared one of the letters from a father who told his daughter that he loved her and not to lose faith. AdBlessinger said she and her five colleagues have been meeting with over 200 men and women who have been separated from their children. “The emotional toll that is taking on everyone is really extreme; not just the parents but the children as well,” Blessinger said. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw imposed a series of deadlines for the administration to reunite hundreds of children.