DPS Does Not Respect Local Communities & Would Be An Active Danger To Houston In A 2nd Trump Term

A few days ago the Houston Democracy Project posted about the people of Eagle Pass, Texas telling Greg Abbott to take his unconstitutional border operation out of their town. 

One of the many complaints was about the Texas Department of Public Safety police and Texas National Guard in Eagle Pass.

Here is what was said:

"We are grateful to the Eagle Pass Police Department and Maverick County Sheriff’s Office for protecting us and maintaining peace and civility with this chaotic situation that you invited into our Texas city..... The Texas National Guard seizure of Shelby Park is illegal. It has not only blocked federal U.S. Border Patrol agents from entering and patrolling the area, and doing their job, but it has also effectively barred us, the residents and taxpayers of Eagle Pass, from accessing our own public park."

The people of Texas and of Harris County merit safety from extremism. It is interesting and maybe a preview of what's to come in Texas and the nation, that the local communities of Eagle Pass and Maverick County  relied on local police to protect themselves from a violent and lawless Republican governor.  

Donald Trump is openly discussing the use of Red State National Guards in Democratic states and in cities all across the nation. There is also serious talk of mass migrant round-ups and deportations in a 2nd Trump term.   

Houston Mayor John Whitmire intends to bring the Department of Public Safety to police the streets of Houston. These DPS troops could easily enforce Texas SB 4 which allows police to turn routine stops into possible deportation situations.

And even if SB 4 is overturned in court which is hopefully what will take place, Greg Abbott's police would be in Houston/Harris County to implement any and all aspects of Trump's second term agenda.

Mayor Whitmire says DPS in Houston would be under city control. Why would we have confidence this would be so? The people of Eagle Pass don't want DPS to block access to a local park. But DPS won't move. When DPS was policing the streets of Austin and were asked to leave by Mayor Kirk Watson after a series of controversies--The reply from DPS was no.  

​And then there was failure and seeming cowardice of DPS during the 2022 mass shooting at the school in  Uvalde. 

We don't need DPS in Houston. We can't count on them for basic aspects of policing, we can't have any trust they will respect local viewpoints & they would be an active danger to Houstonians in a 2nd Trump term.   

The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. 

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