Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribune’s daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Editor’s note: This story contains explicit language.
Gov. Greg Abbott expressed regret Monday after facing intense criticism for labeling all the victims of the Cleveland, Texas, shooting rampage as “illegal immigrants,” even though it appears at least one of them was not.
On Monday afternoon, a statement was released by Abbott’s office, indicating that unidentified “federal officials” had inaccurately provided information suggesting that all five victims were in the country illegally. Following Abbott’s initial statement on Sunday, evidence has emerged revealing that one of the victims was, in fact, a permanent legal resident of the United States.
“In the statement, Renae Eze, spokesperson for Abbott, expressed regret if the provided information was inaccurate and caused any distraction from the crucial objective of apprehending the criminal. We have now come to know that at least one of the victims possibly possessed legal status in the United States.”
Eze acknowledged that the statement failed to address the criticism surrounding Abbott’s emphasis on the victims’ immigration status rather than the victims themselves and their families. However, Eze expressed condolences towards the families who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of a loved one, emphasizing that any loss of life is a tragedy.
Abbott made the initial comment in a news release Sunday that announced a $50,000 reward for information about the shooter, who remained on the run after the Friday massacre. Authorities say 38-year-old Francisco Oropesa killed five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy, with an AR-15-style rifle after one of them asked him to stop firing shots in his yard so their baby could sleep.
According to Abbott’s press release, the individual responsible for the shooting was a fugitive who entered the country unlawfully and tragically took the lives of five individuals also residing unlawfully.
Authorities have said the victims were all from Honduras but have not disclosed their immigration status. The local county sheriff, Greg Capers of San Jacinto County, said Sunday that he did not care about the victims’ immigration status and felt a duty to protect everyone in his county.
Abbott shared a copy of his news release on Twitter, which received widespread criticism nationwide for prioritizing the victims’ immigration status instead of acknowledging the tragic loss of life.
One Twitter user, Carlos Eduardo Espina, responded to Abbott with a picture of an identification card of one of the victims, Diana Velasquez Alvarado, showing she is a permanent resident of the United States. Espina, who describes himself on Twitter as a “community organizer and immigrant rights activist” from College Station, said he spoke with the victim’s husband, who provided the photo of the ID. Law enforcement identified her as Diana Velazquez Alvarado.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa expressed his strong condemnation in a statement, stating, “The actions of Greg Abbott and his Texas Republican allies know no bounds when it comes to their immoral behavior. It is absolutely disgraceful that they would exploit a tragic mass shooting, where five innocent lives, including that of an 8-year-old, were brutally taken, to spread fear and misinformation about migrants and the immigration status of the victims. Such repugnant conduct is truly unacceptable and crosses all boundaries of decency.”
Initially, the shooting victim, Daniel Enrique Laso, was reported to be 8 years old; however, his family members later clarified that he was actually 9 years old.
This was not the first time Abbott has claimed that information he initially shared about a deadly tragedy in Texas was wrong due to the fault of others. Last year, Abbott said he was “misled” about what happened in the Uvalde school massacre after he originally praised the law enforcement response.
On Sunday, Democratic lawmakers, immigrant rights activists, and gun control advocates criticized Abbott’s comment about “illegal immigrants,” expressing their concerns over his insensitivity towards the victims by specifically mentioning their immigration status.
Fred Guttenberg, an outspoken activist and father of a victim from the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting, expressed his strong disagreement with Abbott by tweeting, “Abbott, your policies are not responsible for this shooting, and it has nothing to do with immigration status. As a representative of those affected by gun violence, including my daughter, I strongly condemn your actions. Respectfully, your response is deeply disappointing.”
In a statement, Rodolfo Rosales Jr., the Texas state director for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), emphasized LULAC’s strong conviction that all individuals, irrespective of their immigration status, should be afforded dignity and respect.
Abbott’s fellow Republicans were mostly quiet on his choice of words. Instead, they focused on the immigration status of the suspect, Oropesa, who had been in the country illegally and deported five times previously, according to Fox News, which cited a source with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. CNN later reported that Oropesa had been deported at least four times but said his current immigration status was unclear.
After state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, tweeted that Abbott’s news release was a “new low,” Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi responded, “The illegal alien was able to get a gun because policies [Gutierrez] supports allowed him in the country after he was deported multiple times.”
According to The Texas Tribune, Espina, a well-known activist on Twitter, stated that victims’ families, already aware of his online presence, approached him on Saturday seeking assistance in sharing their stories. Abbott labeled all the victims as “illegal immigrants” on Sunday, leading Alvarado’s spouse to contact Espina and provide him with an ID card, as per Espina’s account.
According to Espina, he desired my assistance in disseminating accurate information and rectifying the situation, as he believed it was unjust for the governor to make false statements.
Abbott’s remark diverged from the response of the sheriff to the tragic mass shooting.
Capers expressed to reporters on Sunday that his primary concern lies with the 8-year-old boy. Regardless of his legal status, Capers emphasized that his focus is on the fact that the boy was present in his county. The tragic loss of five lives within his county has deeply affected him, and he is determined to do everything within his power to safeguard his community.
We can’t wait to welcome you Sept. 21-23 to the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival, our multiday celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the day’s news — all taking place just steps away from the Texas Capitol. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.