Elizabeth Villafranca entered the limelight in 2006, as Farmers Branch began its illegal-immigrant battle that rages to this day. As we mentioned earlier this week, the Cuquitas co-owner has decided to run for city council in the FB. Unfair Park caught up with her yesterday for a Q&A -- during which she speaks not only about why she's running, but about the possibility of becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve in the position. Oh -- and she also mentions how her 9-year-old daughter may have caught on tape the contentious showdown between state Rep. Leo Berman and a Dallas immigration attorney Harry Joe.
When did you start considering a run?
People have been asking me for quite a long time, and I kept saying no. In last few months I've been getting lots of people coming to the restaurant saying, "Why don't you consider running?" I kept saying, "I don't know..." My husband and daughter kept saying, "You should really think about it." In the end, it seemed like a good opportunity for everybody: We don't only have a business there, we live there, and we really care about the community.
They're trying to pass this huge bond package ... People are losing their homes and jobs, and we're gonna raise people's taxes for a new water park? I don't think they're being good stewards of the people's money. I think I bring a new perspective -- not any of those on the council now actually own a business in Farmers Branch, so I don't think they have the perspective I have. It's a good opportunity for the city to see things in another light.
Could you talk about how efforts to ban illegal immigrants played a
role in the process that led to your bid for office?
It wasn't
really to do that much with the fact that it was undocumented people --
it was just the fact that it was an injustice. If it had been another
injustice, I would have been there as well. For me, it was a huge
spiritual thing: I was wasting my time reading the gospel if I wasn't
willing to live it. At the end of the day this has nothing to
do with immigration. Everything we said was going to happen is
happening: The city is $3 million in debt, they had to fire people,
people had to take early retirement, and for what? Everything is tied up
in the courts, we already know this is gonna be deemed
unconstitutional, we know immigration law is in the realm of the
federal government.
Really, I shouldn't even have an opinion, because
as a city councilwoman I wouldn't be involved in passing immigration
legislation. It would be like if I decided we were going to ban
abortion in Farmers Branch.
Well, that's largely true, but there are programs -- such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement's 287(g) --
that involve local governments.
Yes, but 287(g)is a federal program. We didn't invent it out of thin air. I'm frustrated about illegal
immigration just as much as the next person, but that doesn't mean I
have to go out and push some sort of flawed program that's sure to be
ruled unconstitutional.
How do you feel about the the possibility, as first reported by the Associated Press, of becoming the first Hispanic
council member in a city that's nearly half Hispanic?
I didn't ever
ponder the thought, but yesterday some reporters asked me about being
the first minority to serve on the council. It would be such an
incredible honor for me to represent the diversity of the city, to be
part of the representation of what the city of Farmers Branch really
is.
Since we're on the topic, here's a question for some of our
frequent Unfair Park commenters. Many of them complain that we in the media
minimize the distinction between legal and illegal immigrant. They
infer that as "law-breakers," illegal immigrants are completely different than legal immigrants. What's your take on that?
As far as I'm concerned, we are all God's children. Does that mean
we as a city have the authority to pass immigration policy in Farmers
Branch? Absolutely not. Does it mean everyone deserves to be an
American? No, it's a privilege to be an American. We need to determine
who can stay and who should go, but we need a reformed system and
that's the feds' responsibility. We must continue to pressure Barack
Obama. He made promises to the Hispanic community that he would pass
comprehensive immigration reform, and so far, he's said little about it.
This doesn't have anything to do with immigration, but
everyone makes it about that.
What are the priorities you'd be most
passionate about pursuing if you win? One you've mentioned is fiscal
conservatism in light of the city's budget problems.
The primary priority is fiscal responsibility. We are in a huge
financial crisis right now, and we need to make do with what we have.
The council needs to be accountable in every respect. They promised the
taxpayers the city's insurance would be paying for the lawsuits
[against the ordinance banning illegal immigrants from apartment
complexes]. This is not the case. They owe millions, and they don't
have the money to pay it. The police have requested four new police
cars, and two meetings ago the council was talking about how they
couldn't afford them.
How does your family feel about your run?
My
daughter is so funny. She made this really
cool sign yesterday, and recently said, "I think I need to go
shopping -- I think I should start wearing suits now for the campaign."
She's learning so much. We had the opportunity to go to Austin
recently, and she's doing a documentary. I think she got Leo Berman
yelling at that guy to "get out of here!"
When did you move to
Farmers Branch, and was it because you wanted to run for council?
We moved last May. Our house in North Dallas was on the market for
quite a while. It sold right at that time and everything just fell in
our lap. We wanted to move to Farmers Branch to be closer to the
restaurant. Now I can come and go all day long -- before, it was a 20-minute drive. It's a one-story built in '69 with a huge backyard and
cool neighbors. We love it.
