TEXAS, USA — Immigration, and what to do about it, has dominated many of the headlines in Texas in 2023.
There was the continuation of Operation Lone Star along the border, the buoys in the Rio Grande and razor wire along its banks and Republican lawmakers passing controversial legislation that makes it a state crime to enter Texas illegally from a foreign country -- just to name a few notable developments.
So, you might be surprised to hear what the Republican mayor of McAllen had to say when we asked him what the truth is about Texas border communities.
“Here in McAllen, I can’t point to a single incident that we’ve had with immigrants,” Mayor Javier Villalobos told us on Inside Texas Politics. “We assist them logistically to transfer out, and that’s about it. It gets a little bit burdensome every now and then. But it hasn’t for at least a year.”
In fact, Villalobos says his city doesn’t even have a line item in the city budget to address undocumented immigrants, with spending dropping from around $1 million in 2014 to $100,000 or less today.
“We do minimal, minimal spending on the immigrant issue,” Villalobos explained.
On top of that, Villalobos likes to brag about the fact that a financial website ranked McAllen as the third safest city in America, a distinction the mayor says the city works hard for, and a distinction that can change preconceived notions people may have of a “border city.”
“I like to say that we’re strategically located between two very powerful countries, and that’s true,” he said. “The safety is incredible. So, a lot of times, we tell people, be careful what you see in the news. Be careful what you see on different channels. Our area is very safe. It’s a tremendous area.”
As he looks ahead to 2024 and beyond, Villalobos says economic development will continue to be a priority.
“We’ve been able to, something I’m very proud of, lower taxes two straight years. Our budget is the biggest budget we’ve ever had,” he said. “What that means, it’s food on the table, jobs for people, and our area just keeps on growing.”