Residents tell Brownsville commission they fear policing, immigration enforcement

Two members of the public used the commission’s Sept. 2 public comment period to urge the City Commission to act on policing and immigration enforcement practices they said harm community trust.

Yolanda Spis said she has regularly attended commission meetings for three years and described a pattern of troubling interactions with the Brownsville Police Department. "There comes a point when your silence is complicity," Spis said. She described repeated instances that, she said, leave residents feeling unsafe when officers drive by and urged the commission to "prevent the abusive behavior we've been dealing with."

Spis framed her remarks as a call for proactive leadership and policy awareness. "Protecting and serving is," she said, contrasting that goal with what she described as "unprofessional behavior" and "gaslighting" by officers.

Jesse Gonzalez followed during public comment and said immigration enforcement actions by federal agencies, including ICE and Border Patrol, are contributing to racism and fear in Brownsville. "There is a rampant rise in racism brought in by ICE," Gonzalez said, adding that "innocent people are taken from their homes, their restaurants, from the public streets, and taken who knows where." Gonzalez said he was stopped by Border Patrol the same morning and identified himself as a U.S. citizen.

The commission did not engage with speakers during public comment; the mayor said commissioners could not respond during that period. The remarks were public comment and did not trigger votes or formal commission direction during the meeting. No commission member announced a follow‑up item on the agenda during the public comment period.