‘Rosa’ witnessed the August 2019 shooting massacre, dubbed a domestic terrorism event by investigators, at an El Paso, Texas, Walmart store that left 23 dead and 25 wounded. She had agreed to be a witness against the gunman, according to her lawyer.
Authorities stated, the seemingly unstable gunman in the Walmart massacre had driven almost 700 miles from near Dallas to carry out the shooting. He even had an online screed in which he warns of a “Hispanic Invasion”. When arrested, the gunman told authorities he was targeting Mexicans.
Deportation Drawing Backlash
Rosa’s deportation has drawn backlash and demands for her return. The Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services of El Paso posted audio on Twitter saying “Rosa still lives with the trauma of what she saw the day of the El Paso Walmart shooting.”
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A survivor of the El Paso Walmart shooting has been deported, according to the Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services in El Paso.https://t.co/UNKuw51Bby
— Julio Ricardo Varela (@julito77) February 1, 2021
NBC reported, “Local law enforcement pulled ‘Rosa’ over the Wednesday before her arrest for a broken brake light. Detained because of previous warrants for her arrest, ‘Rosa’ was transferred to ICE, which allegedly deported her before she could reach her attorney. She was deported Jan. 29.”
“Immigration groups have decried using local law agencies and agreements with ICE to enforce immigration laws and ramp up immigrant detention and deportations. Texas has a state law that allows law enforcement more power to detain people they think may not be legally in the country.”
“Rosa’s attorneys said she pleaded guilty in 2018 to a driving while intoxicated charge, but ICE later released her. They underscored that authorities under Trump previously found she wasn’t a threat to the public.”
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