Contradictory statements by Texas Homeland Security Director Steve McCraw and Leticia Zamarripa, a spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in El Paso, have left borderland residents longing for clarification.
After McCraw told reporters that terrorists with ties to Hezbollah, Hamas and al-Qaeda have been arrested crossing the Texas-Mexico border in recent years, Zamarripa told the Associated Press in a Sept. 13 article published in the El Paso Times that she was unaware of any such arrests.
Some EPCC students fear that it would take little effort by terrorists to succeed in crossing into the U.S. through the Mexican border.
“They should do a further investigation,” said mechanical engineering student Paula Sanchez.
“If it is true, we should increase security [on the border].”
Many share her sentiment.
“It is easy for them to cross through,” said
Philip De Lao, a physics major.
However, some students believe the border is well-protected.
“If we catch a terrorist before they step foot in the country, then our money is being used correctly,” said Daniel Hernandez, a business major. “And [this] proves that the system is working.”
In the event of heightened security along the border and the construction of a border fence due to the terrorism scare, some students believe there would still be terrorism leaks through the border.
“If you put an obstacle up, they’ll just find a new way [to cross over],” said Cynthia Davis, an education major. “There’s always a way.”
With the arrest of possible terrorists at the Texas-Mexico border, some students are concerned that El Paso may be targeted.
“There is a reason to attack El Paso because we have Ft. Bliss, an international airport, White Sands missile range and the FBI here in town,” Hernandez added. “Once upon a time, we didn’t think that planes could be hijacked and flown into the twin towers, but it happened.”
Several students said that Ft. Bliss’ growing military installation may encite the likes of a terrorist organization.
“Since we’re getting all the new troops, it would not be unlikely,” said De Lao.
“There’s also Holloman Air Force Base which could be attacked.”
But some students believe the fear of terrorism on the border or in El Paso is a myth.
“I don’t think there are terrorists trying to cross the border,” said graphic design student Aaron Dominguez.
“I live in Juarez and I think the biggest problem is drug dealers crossing, not terrorists.”
Some students also believe that the suspicion of terrorist attempts near the border is being raised as a publicity stunt for the war on terror.
“I think they are trying to link everything to the terrorist attack [9/11],” said nursing student Melissa Ramos.
Architecture student Gary Garcia said that reports of terrorist activity near the border are being made solely, “to put our Border Patrol on the ball, to tell them what to look out for.”
