DEL RIO -- Del Rio was among a number of communities on both sides of the U.S.- Mexico border that held weekend rallies to oppose the Trump administration’s wall. A bipartisan group of officials on Saturday joined residents in showing their opposition to a wall.
Several hundred people linked arms on the International Bridge which links Del Rio and Ciudad Acuna, Mexico.
In the middle of the human chain was Congressman Will Hurd – a Republican from Helotes near San Antonio who also represents this border district. Hurd says he’s looking to change minds in his own party about the wall.
“Building a wall from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security.”
Congressman Joaquin Castro a Democrat from San Antonio joined the event and added that he wants Republican budget hawks to take a close look at the price tag for a wall.
“With a wall you’re not getting much bang for your buck.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s estimates the wall would cost more than $21 billion dollars. And currently there’s doesn’t seem to be a way to make Mexico pay for it.
“There are better ways of spending billions and billions of dollars than putting up a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.”
Hurd, who worked as an undercover CIA operative, and is an expert on cyber warfare, says technology will do more than concrete to protect America.
“We should be using technology to detect problems at our border.”
Del Rio resident Diana Ramon says while some politicians in Washington D.C. call for the wall she and many other border residents don’t want it.
“We’re just border people which is something a lot of people don’t understand.”
At the Saturday rally Ramon carried a sign that read “Pro America Anti-Wall”
She and the other protestors are hoping their message of cross-border unity will inspire Congress to defy Trump and scrap plans for a wall.
