A look back: Best of South Texas Pride in 2021
In late 2021, KSAT revamped the South Texas Pride series to bring viewers more long-form content full-length Q&As. We highlighted some stories that made a difference to the local LGBTQ+ community, as well as state, national and even international communities.
U.S. Customs and Border Protectionโs closure of Del Rio bridge disrupts businesses and jobs on Texas side of the U.S.-Mexico border
Federal officials have halted traffic so they can process thousands of Haitian migrants seeking asylum. The closure has made it difficult for the Texas cityโs binational employees and business owners to keep normal operations going.
Del Rio leaders, activists say current immigration situation is โunsustainableโ
DEL RIO, Texas โ Unlike the influx of Central Americans arriving through Mexico, those arriving into Del Rio now are different having done so in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and a historic winter storm. Mayor Bruno Lozano said he sent President Joe Biden a video message last month pleading him to stop asylum seekers from arriving in Del Rio. Tiffany Burrow, operations manager for the Val Verde Humanitarian Border Coalition, called the current situation in Del Rio โunsustainable.โโOur community is facing enormous challenges and Del Rio needs support,โ Burrow said in a statement to KSAT. โThe immigration issue here in Del Rio is much bigger than what our local government can provide. โI want them to be set up for success in our country.โHowever, Lozano said that is not possible with the current immigration system.
City of Del Rio, Ciudad Acuna communicating often during pandemic to ensure citizen health safety between borders
How City of Del Rio is responding to COVID-19There are two international land border crossings in Del Rio, including the Del Rio International Bridge and the Amistad Dam International Bridge. The Amistad Dam International Bridge is temporarily closed, and the Del Rio International Bridge has been limited to essential travel because of the ongoing pandemic. AdAgustin Angeles, with the Consulate of Mexico in Del Rio, said in March, they began communicating with Del Rio and Cuidad Acuna officials about the coronavirus pandemic. โOn March 13 was the first time the emergency team from the city of Del Rio reached out to us asking for a meeting with health authorities in (Cuidad) Acuna,โ Angeles said. Currently, there are 14 confirmed coronavirus cases in Ciudad Acuna and 13 confirmed cases in Val Verde County.
How City of Del Rio is responding to COVID-19
DEL RIO, Texas โ The coronavirus pandemic has impacted cities across the nation, including the city of Del Rio, located along the U.S.- Mexico border. โPeople were like, โItโs not going to happen in Del Rio. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 49,000 people live in Val Verde and contrary to what some Del Rio residents believed, the virus has made an impact. โWe host a weekly local emergency planning committee community COVID-19 preparedness meeting, and we have over 100 participants on that,โ said John Sheedy, emergency management coordinator for city of Del Rio. The National Guard also set up a pop-up testing site on April 23rd at the Del Rio Civic Center.