Border Agency Employee Tells Texas Trick-or-Treaters Candy Is Only For Americans
An employee of the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency had a message for trick-or-treaters in the tiny Texas border town of Presidio this Halloween. A sign taped on the gate of a home located within a US government-owned housing complex was written in Spanish with letters drawn in red, white, and blue: “Only American families receive candy.”
The sign has sparked outrage in Presidio, where around 94 percent of the 6,000 residents are Hispanic and many families have relatives across the border. CBP officers and their families reside inside the gated community where the sign was posted, and while unauthorized personnel are technically not allowed inside, housing complex management said the rules are bent during Halloween to allow trick-or-treaters from the general public.
The sign incident prompted Mayor John Ferguson to issue a statement reminding his constituents that Presidio has traditionally welcomed trick-or-treaters from Ojinaga, a sister city just across the border in Mexico.
Two photos of the sign were met with alarm from citizens of both Presidio and Ojinaga when the images circulated on Facebook on the Saturday of Halloween. By Monday afternoon, the sign had been taken down.
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