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ZAPATA COUNTY
Locals unite to help Harvey victims Community, officials made disaster relief a reality By César G. Rodriguez THE ZAPATA T IME S
Zapata County united as one to help families affected by Hurricane Harvey. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the community members and volunteers for all they have done to make this Hurricane Harvey Relief Operation a reality,” said Sheriff Alonso M. Lopez on his Facebook. He further stated that
hard work and dedication showed the “county’s strength, power and unity.” “Without the generous support of the community and the leadership of all the volunteers, this project would not have been possible. We are so fortunate and blessed to live in such a caring and compassionate community. Thank you Zapata,” the sheriff stated. Sheriff’s officials rendered help to people in Zapata continues on A12
Zapata County Sheriff’s Office / Courtesy
Zapata County volunteers and officials share a moment of prayer.
DEFERRED ACTION FOR CHILDHOOD ARRIVALS
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
‘DREAMERS’ LEFT FEELING BETRAYED
Border wall construction put on hold By Nomaan Merchant and Will Weissert ASSOCIATED PRE SS
They grew up in America and are working or going to school here. Some are building businesses or raising families of their own. Many have no memory of the country where they were born. Now, almost 800,000 young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or overstayed their visas could see their lives upended after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it is ending the Obama-era program that protected them from deportation. “We are Americans in heart, mind and soul. We just don’t have the correct documentation that states we’re American,” said Jose Rivas, 27, who is studying for a master’s in counseling at the University of Wyoming. Rivas’ grandmother brought him to this country from Mexico when he was 6. He wants to become a school counselor in America but lamented: “Everything is up in the air at this point.” The news that the government is phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, over the next six months was met with shock, anger and a sense of betrayal by its beneficiaries, often called “Dreamers.”
HOUSTON — The U.S. government carefully designed a path of least resistance to building a border wall in Texas, picking a wildlife refuge and other places it already owns or controls to quickly begin construction. All it needed was Congress to approve the money. Then came Harvey. President Donald Trump’s administration must now grapple with a storm that devastated the Texas Gulf Coast, with some areas still underwater and tens of thousands of people forced from their homes. Rebuilding will require billions of dollars to start — and may come at the expense of what is perhaps Trump’s best-known policy priority. The White House wanted $1.6 billion for 74 miles of initial wall, including 60 miles in Texas’ Rio Grande ValPresident Donald ley. While a fraction of Trump’s what the overall Harvey recovery administration effort will cost, fundmust now grapple ing for the wall alwith a storm that ready faced strong opposition from devastated the Senate Democrats. Texas Gulf Coast. Three days before the storm made landfall, Trump threatened a government shutdown unless Congress provides funding. That threat now appears to be off the table, as is any potential maneuver to tie the wall to providing disaster relief. “If Trump is saying, ‘Listen, you’re only going to get your disaster funding if I get my wall,’ that is a total political loser,” said Matt Mackowiak, a Texas-based Republican consultant. “That’s just not tenable.” Another potential way to get the wall started would be tying initial funding to the program shielding young immigrants from deportation, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would seek to phase out. The White House and Republican congressional leadership are discussing a larger package of legislation to address DACA, money for the border wall and other elements. Democrats have ruled out any trade off of DACA legislation with the border wall, though, casting doubt on such an approach. Before the storm hit, the U.S. government had spent months quietly preparing to begin new construction in Texas. The first construction site would be the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, a verdant forest with butterflies and rare bird species next to the Rio Grande — that wasn’t affected by Harvey. Those preparations are still underway. At Santa Ana, crews were seen as recently as Friday drilling holes for testing the soil on the river levee built to withhold high waters from
DACA continues on A11
Border continues on A11
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
From left to right, Dayana Arrue, Sofia Ruales, and Erica Ruales, all in their early 20s and originally from Ecuador, watch Attorney General Jeff Sessions' remarks on ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Sofia's smartphone before a protest in Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Immigrants shocked by Trump’s decision By Andrew Selsky and Josh Hoffner ASSOCIATED PRE SS
Sue Ogrocki / AP
Young immigrants hold a sign in support of DACA at a news conference in Oklahoma City on Tuesday.