IF YOU GET A CITY TRAFFIC TICKET IN BROWNSVILE AND SHOW A MEXICAN DRIVER'S LICENSE, ICE MIGHT COME LOOKING FOR YOU

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

The City of Brownsville has confirmed that the Police Department has launched an investigation into an apparent breach of local police protocol after at least three local residents with Mexican drivers' licenses were issued traffic tickets and soon after had ICE agents knocking on their door seeking them.

"We have strict rules that prohibit doing that," said Mayor John Cowen. 

He declined to go into specifics on the probe initiated after learning about the incidents other than to say "We have started an investigation."

The first case that came to light was a 40-year-old Brownsville resident issue was issued a speeding citation August 12 by Brownsville Police Department officer and promptly paid it the next day (August 13) at City Plaza, only to learn that ICE agents had followed his wife as she left her home in their car.

The following day, he said his son was driving their truck and was stopped by ICE agents shortly after he left their home in a northern Brownsville neighborhood,

"And we have already heard that the same thing happened to at least two other people who were issued traffic tickets by Brownsville police and later ICE showed up looking for them," a family friend told El Rrun-Rrun on condition of anonymity. "We live on the border and a lot of people have dual citizenship or do business in Matamoros and have Mexican licenses to drive there. I thought the city couldn't get involved in stuff like this. Some of them might be visiting relatives here and give a local address. Then this happens."

Cowen did not say how long the investigation into how ICE obtained the traffic tickets and other private information of those ticketed will last or whether the city's stated policies will be changed as a result of the breach.

He sid that city police have not been empowered to enforce immigration law or to provide ICE with information on drivers who are cited for traffic offenses.

"We know that Texas Department of Public Safety is require to cooperate with ICE, but the city police aren't," he said.