Commissioners adopt resolutions recognizing veterans’ brain wellness, desert stewardship, Pride Month and Immigrant Heritage Month

El Paso County commissioners on Monday adopted four separate resolutions recognizing brain wellness for veterans, commending volunteer desert stewardship groups, declaring June Pride Month and approving lighting of the star on the mountain in Pride colors, and declaring June Immigrant Heritage Month.

The court voted to adopt each resolution on motions listed in the record and accepted remarks from community members who helped advance the measures.

Why it matters: The resolutions are formal acknowledgments from the county. The veterans resolution emphasizes the county’s role serving a large military and veteran population and supports research and local partnerships. The environmental recognition commends Desert Rescue 915 and Wild West 4x4 for volunteer desert cleanup and encourages longer-term county support. The Pride Month resolution affirms the county’s support for LGBTQIA+ community events, including the planned star lighting, and drew community remarks from Pride organizers and advocacy groups. The immigrant heritage resolution affirms June as a month to recognize immigrant contributions and was paired with remarks from local immigrant service leaders and students.

Highlights and quotes: On the veterans resolution, Camille Camacho (peer family educator) told the court the resolution “is not just words — it is a pledge... to advocate for brain wellness.” For the desert stewardship resolution, Desert Rescue 915’s Rick Flores described coordinating cleanup events and partnerships. On Pride, Chris Freck, president of El Paso Sun City Pride, said the county’s visible support is especially important in the face of “harmful efforts” in other jurisdictions; Borderland Rainbow Center executive director Amber Betas urged the court to be a safe jurisdiction for LGBTQIA+ youth. Estrella del Paso executive director Melissa Lopez and other immigrant services representatives said Immigrant Heritage Month recognizes immigrants’ cultural, civic and economic contributions and urged continued local support.

Actions: Each resolution was approved by the court in separate motions recorded in the minutes and will be filed with county records. No binding policy or budgetary commitments were made as part of the resolutions, though the desert item encouraged stronger county partnerships with volunteer groups.

Ending: County leaders said the resolutions reinforce the county’s commitments to veterans, environmental stewardship, inclusion, and immigrant communities and that staff and community partners will continue work tied to the themes highlighted in the proclamations.