San Antonio City Council’s special meeting Thursday to discuss SAPD’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials descended into chaos on several occasions throughout the afternoon.
Council was forced to recess on three separate occasions. The first happened after Republican Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner Grant Moody, the first speaker of the comment session, reaffirmed his unwavering support for ICE and other federal agencies.
“In today’s environment, we must recognize that undermining law enforcement or micromanaging law enforcement ultimately undermines public safety, and that puts everyone at risk,” Moody said. “ICE is enforcing federal law … and there should be zero tolerance for attacks on those who serve.”
Audience members shouted down Moody, calling him a “Nazi.” Indeed one man appeared ready to throw hands with the Bexar County Commissioner, prompting Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones calling a 15-minute recess to allow everyone to cool off.
“Everyone who contributes deserves respect, or you will be escorted out,” Jones told the audience.
“He’s an elected official. This is public time!” a member from the audience yelled.
After the recess, Moody was allowed to finish his remarks. However, Jones was forced to call another 15-minute recess due to continued heckling of the county commissioner.
Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, currently a candidate for Bexar County Judge, took the mic next, describing ICE as an “unconstitutional paramilitary organization being used as a tool for intimidation.”
“We don’t have authority over immigration law, but we have the human obligation to treat eachother with dignity,” Nirenberg said.
After that, the audience in council chambers appeared to cool down a bit — until right-wing “independent citizen journalist” Hernando Arce took his turn to speak. Arce, who was sporting an ICE hat and a fake press pass, had already been escorted into a secure holding room for his security prior to his allotted time.
Before the start of the meeting, Arce had asked people filing into the council chambers to reveal legal status and home address, then threatened to call ICE on them, according to people who observed his actions.
When it was Arce’s time to speak, Jones again was forced to call another 15-minute recess.
Arce was eventually allowed to speak, however, giving a rambling address about how his “investigative work” had “exposed” how the city was engaging in the “human trafficking of illegal aliens.”
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