BROOKS COUNTY, Texas — According to the Brooks County Attorney, the Department of Public Safety is once again looking at putting in a migrant processing center in Falfurrias, Texas.
The State is looking to send hundreds of state troopers into the area to find and arrest migrants crossing private ranches. They will be charged with trespassing.
A deal between DPS and Brooks County officials appeared to have fallen apart back in November.
County Attorney David Garcia said he wanted an agreement in writing with DPS, but he said they would not do that. He was hesitant though to join up with the State’s plan because he had heard that other counties that had previously done the same thing were never reimbursed for the cost of prosecutions.
Garcia didn’t want financially strapped Brooks County to be on the hook as well; but now, Garcia said DPS officials have contacted him once again and are ready to move forward on the plan.
"I’m glad that we finally were able to get them to listen to us," Garcia said. "And like I say, they had covered a lot of the logistics but unfortunately they just haven’t covered prosecution and the cost to the counties.”
Garcia said that funding was found by the State and turned over to the Brooks County District Attorney’s Office to be used for this plan.
"At this point our DA Carlos Garcia has actually received the funds for two years where he can set up a prosecutor, an investigator and a staff member, a clerical person, as a team," Garcia said.
Garcia said that more clerks will have to be hired to take care of the thousands of additional cases. He hopes the State can clear up that matter soon.
Garcia also told 3News that a processing center is supposed to be opened up in nearby Jim Hogg County by January. He said DPS wants to build another processing center and Brooks County is in the running for that.
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