El Paso Mass Shooting: Motivated by Anti-Hispanic Sentiment?

On Saturday, August 3, a mass shooting occurred at an El Paso, Texas, mall, about five miles from the main border checkpoint with Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. A gunman shot and killed 22 people and injured dozens of others. Nine of the at least 22 who were hospitalized were in critical condition as of Monday morning. One of them is only four years old.

The suspect, 21-year-old Patrick Crusius, is in police custody. Investigators are pursuing criminal and civil rights hate crime investigations and seeking “domestic terrorism” charges against Crusius. 

According to authorities, Crusius allegedly posted a document titled The Inconvenient Truth to several websites shortly before the shooting. The document is an anti-immigrant screed that denounces the growing Hispanic population in Texas, and cites that as the reason for the mass shooting. The document also expresses support for the shooter who opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on March 15, killing 51 people. 

“In general,” wrote Crusius, “I support the Christchurch shooter and his manifesto. This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. They are the instigators, not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.” 

Some American Hispanic leaders are saying that Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is at least partly to blame for the violence against immigrants, and for this incident. 

Rep. Joaquin Castro, who represents San Antonio, and is chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said, “The President has put a target on the back of the Hispanic community for years now, and there’s a cost to that kind of dangerous and racially divisive rhetoric. …If you look at the shooter‘s manifesto, it’s consistent with the language that President Trump has used to describe Hispanic immigrants as being part of an invasion of the United States.”

It is almost as horrifying to hear a few of the various responses from Trump supporters who seem like ordinary, “harmless” citizens. While not exactly supporting the mass shooting themselves, some seem to make an excuse for it.

“People are angry,” said one. “They’re tired of people coming over our border and bringing crime and disease.” As if the border situation were worse than a mass shooting. As if it justified a mass shooting. As if it were even true.

El Paso shooting: Several killed as gunman opens fire in Texas Walmart
The Telegraph | [2019-08-04]

Death toll from El Paso mass shooting rises to 22
Fox News | [2019-08-05]

Trump and His National Emergency

What happens if Trump declares border crisis a national emergency? | Fox News [2019-01-05]

President Donald Trump: ‘I Could’ Declare National Emergency For Border Wall Funding | NBC News [2019-01-04]

With the U.S. government’s partial shutdown now in its third week, Donald Trump says he is considering declaring a national emergency in order to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall he campaigned on. Trump met on Friday, January 4, with senior Democrats, who continued to refuse his demand for federal funding for the wall, which, according to Trump, is a condition for Trump’s supporting funding to re-open the government. The government shutdown occurred as a result of the failure of lawmakers and Trump to reach an agreement in December on a budget bill.

When asked whether he had considered using his presidential authority to declare a state of national emergency in order to bypass Congress’ approval for funding a border wall, Trump said, “I may do it. We can call a national emergency and build it very quickly. That’s another way of doing it.”

Budget experts, however, say that Trump would still need for funds to be allocated by Congress, even if he could declare a national emergency.

Though a bill for funds to re-open the government passed the House on Thursday, January 3, it can’t take effect unless the GOP-controlled Senate also passes it. Senate leader Mitch McConnell has said that Republicans will not back a bill without Trump’s support.

Meanwhile, roughly 25 percent of federal government operations remain un-funded. The departments of Justice, Housing, Homeland Security, Commerce, Agriculture, the Interior, and the Treasury are heavily impacted, and national parks, left unstaffed, have begun to be hazardous to visitors. Approximately 800,000 federal employees are either furloughed, or continue to work without pay.

Many lawmakers and legal experts say that Trump does not have the authority to declare a state of national emergency in order to build a border wall.

Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif), said, “Look, if Harry Truman couldn’t nationalize the steel industry during wartime, this president doesn’t have the power to declare an emergency and build a multibillion-dollar wall on the border.”

Adam Smith, incoming House Armed Services Committee chair, said Trump may have the authority, but that it would be challenged. “In this case, I think the president would be wide open to a court challenge saying, ‘Where is the emergency?’ …You have to establish that in order to do this.”

On the other hand, Trump has said the partial government shutdown could go on “for a very long time,” perhaps even years.

“If we don’t find a solution,” said Trump, “It’s going to go on for a long time. There’s not going to be any bend right here.”

With that said, if Trump has the authority to declare a state of national emergency in order to fund and build his border wall, one might wonder why he doesn’t just go ahead and do it.