Residents in the south Texas Rio Grande Valley will be checked for citizenship by the Customs and Border Patrol before hurricane evacuations, according to a story in the Rio Grande Guardian.
Anyone who can’t prove citizenship or legal residency will be held in “specially designed areas ‘made to withstand hurricanes’,” Border Patrol Spokesman Dan Doty told the paper in May.
“By no means do we want to stop somebody from safely evacuating but we do, and we will do our job while we assist,” Doty said. “We check for citizenship, (and) with our agents it does not take long. It's a very quick process.”
The policy was brought to light during a mock hurricane evacuation exercise, when Border Patrol agents were seen checking documentation of residents. Hurricane season in the valley begins in June.
Federal plans to check immigration status in the event of a mandatory hurricane evacuation drew criticism from local emergency planners, according to another local paper, the Monitor.
The screenings could delay time-sensitive departure efforts and scare many undocumented Rio Grande Valley residents into staying behind and putting their lives in danger, planners said.
"It could certainly have a chilling affect," said Kevin Pagan, McAllen's emergency management coordinator. "No one's trying to accommodate undesirables entering the country, but this adds a level of complexity that we're not prepared to deal with."
Kathleen Tierney, Professor of Sociology and the Director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, had similar concerns.
"The institution of this new policy seems out of line with the state's obligation to protect public health and safety in future hurricanes,” Tierney observed. “A likely consequence of the policy is that people who fear citizenship checks will simply opt out of the evacuation process entirely. There is also the danger that particular groups within the population will be unduly singled out for scrutiny. Besides, does the state currently have any idea how many of its residents possess proof of citizenship currently, or how easy it would be for people to retrieve such information during an evacuation? And does the state have any plans for providing financial support to citizens who will now need to obtain proof of citizenship in advance of this year's hurricane season?"
Cameron County executive Carlos Cascos told the Associated Press the government's primary role was to save lives. "The Border Patrol, if they choose to do this, it just stands to reason that it's going to hinder or slow down the evacuation process," Cascos said. "And once word gets out, people will not evacuate. They'll just stay home. They won't leave if they fear they're going to be deported."
Full text of the Guardian story can be accessed online.