“Caricature: Texas Governor Greg Abbott” by DonkeyHotey is marked with CC BY-SA 2.0.
Audio By Carbonatix
Editor’s note: 05/02/2023, 6:53 a.m.: The article has been updated to include a statement provided by Gov. Greg Abbott’s spokesperson.
On Friday, April 28, five people, including a 9-year-old and an 18-year-old, were murdered in Cleveland, Texas, after police say that the shooter, Francisco Oropesa, was asked to stop firing a rifle near the victims’ home. According to an interview with ABC 13 in Houston, the homeowner, Wilson Garcia, said Oropesa was possibly drunk and shooting rounds from an AR-15 outside of Garcia’s front door, before the murders. Oropesa fled the scene and a manhunt involving more than 250 officers, according to CNN, is currently underway.
On Sunday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to Orepesa’s capture. But he did so with an insensitive tweet that some Twitter users viewed as “victim shaming.”
“Announcing a $50K reward for a @TxDPS top 10 fugitive who is in the country illegally and killed five illegal immigrants Friday night,” the tweet said. “I also directed #OperationLoneStar to be on the lookout for the criminal and any attempts to flee the country.”
Announcing a $50K reward for a @TxDPS top 10 fugitive who is in the country illegally and killed five illegal immigrants Friday night.
I also directed #OperationLoneStar to be on the lookout for the criminal and any attempts to flee the country.https://t.co/SLJcBRPrmO pic.twitter.com/2RWrSDkRBa
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) April 30, 2023
Of course, the governor’s tweet riled up plenty of folks who were less than impressed with his bounty announcement. Noting the citizenship status of the deceased isn’t only unnecessary, at best, and heartless, at worst, but in this case, it may also be inaccurate.
Carlos Eduardo Espina, who describes himself as a community organizer and immigrant activist, tweeted that the governor is wrong about at least one of the victims, including a snapshot of what he says is the permanent resident ID card for Diana Velasquez Alvarado.
“I just spoke to the husband of one of the victims. He confirmed to me that his wife was a permanent resident of the US,” he wrote. “He even sent me a picture of her ID confirming this.”
I just spoke to the husband of one of the victims. He confirmed to me that his wife was a permanent resident of the US. He even sent me a picture of her ID confirming this.
But I guess to Greg Abbott, anyone who is from another country is an ‘ilegal immigrant’. Shameful. https://t.co/O2AphCodlh pic.twitter.com/YjGLdBMtRl
— Carlos Eduardo Espina (@cespina1998) May 1, 2023
Whether any of the victims were living in Cleveland, just north of Houston, legally or illegally, shouldn’t be a factor in the discussion according to many people who criticized Abbott’s tweet. For his part, longtime Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy suggests the governor may not necessarily be the best source for this type of information anyway.
“Finding the killer is more important than chiding the governor here,” Kennedy wrote. “But only the federal government can accurately determine anyone’s civil immigration status. Comments from any other source are speculation.”
Finding the killer is more important than chiding the governor here. But only the federal government can accurately determine anyone’s civil immigration status. Comments from any other source are speculation. https://t.co/cSERefjDsW
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) May 1, 2023
Sen. Roland Gutierrez had no qualms chiding the governor. On Sunday night, the state senator, who represents Uvalde, where 19 children and 2 teachers were murdered at Robb Elementary School last May by an assailant armed with an assault-style rifle, tweeted: “A new low for @GregAbbott_TX, who continues to do nothing to keep #Texas safe from #GunViolence. Greg, how was an undocumented person able to obtain an AR-15 in the first place? I’ll tell you why. It’s because you and other Republicans have made safe gun laws nonexistent. I challenge you to show some actual political courage and #DOSOMETHING. #txlege.”
A new low for @GregAbbott_TX, who continues to do nothing to keep #Texas safe from #GunViolence.
Greg, how was an undocumented person able to obtain an AR-15 in the first place? I’ll tell you why. It’s because you and other Republicans have made safe gun laws nonexistent.
— Senator Roland Gutierrez (@RolandForTexas) May 1, 2023
Since it’s buried at the bottom of the governor’s tweet, it might be easy to miss, but Abbott’s pointing out that he has directed Operation Lone Star to “be on the lookout for the criminal” likely isn’t comforting to many of his constituents. Operation Lone Star is Texas’ costly, controversial border patrol effort designed to crack down on illegal immigration, and it has been ensnared in accusations and litigation involving civil rights since its 2021 launch.
On Monday, the Texas Tribune reported that Abbott, through a spokesperson, sort of apologized for his tweet.
“We’ve since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally,” Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze said in the statement provided to the Tribune. “We regret if the information was incorrect and detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal.”
Gov. Abbott’s office did not return calls from the Observer requesting further comment.
