SPURS LOSE AT GOLDEN STATE
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27, 2016
FREE
SAN ANTONIO ROUTED IN FIRST MEETING WITH DEFENDING CHAMPIONS, 7A
DELIVERED EVERY SATURDAY
TO 4,000 HOMES
A HEARST PUBLICATION
ON THE WEB: THEZAPATATIMES.COM
SAN YGNACIO
LOCAL ECONOMY
Three men busted by Border Patrol
Zapata’s outlook Wind energy sought after in 2016 By KENDRA ABLAZA THE ZAPATA TIMES
Suspects allegedly attempted to transport immigrants from Zapata By CÉSAR G. RODRIGUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
Three men were arrested for attempting to transport illegal immigrants from a Zapata County rest area to a Wal-Mart in Laredo, according to court
Zapata has a brighter outlook in 2016 and beyond, said Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell, thanks to improvements to county infrastructure, job creation, and its local economy that are projected to take place this year. Rathmell said Zapata County’s economy has been depressed for the past seven years due to the collapse
documents. U.S. Border Patrol identified the suspects as Francisco Alberto Cansino, Jose Alfonso Orozco and Oliver Salazar. All are facing human
See BUSTED PAGE 11A
RATHMELL
of the natural gas market. Since then, the county has been able to reduce spending to meet its revenues as they come in, which Rathmell believes is benefiting Zapata in the long run. Rathmell said Electric Transmission Texas will be building a transmission line from Webb County to Hidalgo County this year that will pass through Zapata. This will not only in-
crease the county’s tax value, but also attract wind companies, wind farm producers and wind energy producers to the area because they will have a way to get energy, Rathmell said. These projects, worth $100 million, will also increase Zapata’s taxable value significantly, the county judge said. “They are leasing quite a
See OUTLOOK PAGE 11A
CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO
CATHOLICS LOOK FORWARD TO VISIT Pope touring border city next month By JULIÁN AGUILAR TEXAS TRIBUNE
Photo by Julián Aguilar | Texas Tribune
A cardboard cutout of His Holiness Pope Francis greets residents of Ciudad Juárez on Jan. 16. Pope Francis will visit the border city in February as part of a six-day tour of Mexico.
CIUDAD JUAREZ – Residents of this border city hope the rest of the world sees next month what Juarenses already know: Despite years of bloodshed and continuing poverty, the local spirit is high and its people are determined to persevere. Pope Francis is scheduled to arrive in Ciudad Juárez on Feb. 17 for the final stop on his six-day tour of Mexico. People here expect the visit will place the city once considered the most dangerous in the Americas under a new and positive light. But there’s also an expectation that Pope Francis will arrive with his reputation for being outspoken on social issues like government corruption, immigration and poverty intact — and force officials on both sides of the Rio Grande to take note. “Corruption exists everywhere, but yes, he
“
Corruption exists everywhere, but yes, he should address it.” JESUS CARMONA, CIUDAD JUAREZ RESIDENT
should address it,” said resident Jesus Carmona outside the city’s downtown cathedral earlier this month. “What I hope is that he speaks about the deaths in Ciudad Juárez. Thankfully, they aren’t as common, but now the cops are more heavy-handed than ever.” The pope’s itinerary includes a visit to the state prison to pray with inmates and a meeting with business and school offi-
See POPE PAGE 11A
TEXAS
Immigration law challenged By SETH ROBBINS ASSOCIATED PRESS
SAN ANTONIO — Immigrant rights attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging part of a Texas border security bill they say could allow state authorities to target shelters and landlords for harboring immigrants who are in the country illegally. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund is asking a judge to find unconstitutional part of the far-reaching security bill the state passed in 2015. The group suing includes two landlords who say they could be hurt by the law because they don’t ask the immigration status of their tenants. Also suing is Jonathan Ryan, director
But Nina Perales, the lead lawyer with MALDEF, said the law is intended to target people who do business with immigrants, such as landlords, or people carrying out humanitarian work in shelters. of a San Antonio-based immigration legal services center that also runs a shelter for migrants whose staff and volunteers, he says, could be subject to prosecution. Republican state Rep. Dennis Bonnen, who authored the bill in question, called the lawsuit “frivolous” and said the legislation was never intended to target shelters, aid workers
or landlords and could not be used to do so. But Nina Perales, the lead lawyer with MALDEF, said the law is intended to target people who do business with immigrants, such as landlords, or people carrying out humanitarian work in shelters. “There can be no explanation for this harboring statute than to intimidate people,” she said. “There is
no public safety function.” Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill, known as HB 11, into law by last year as part of an $800 million border security effort undertaken by the Legislature. Under one provision of HB 11, people who profit from, encourage or induce a person to enter or stay in the country illegally “by concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection” can be charged with various felony degrees. The charges depend on the age of the immigrant and whether he or she becomes victim of sexual assault or other crimes. The bill also creates the new crime of “continuous harboring” of immigrants
See LAW PAGE 11A
Texas Tribune photo
Nina Perales of MALDEF and others from the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force present a proposal for two new Latinomajority congressional seats in Texas.