Two Tales of a City

David. One of Dickens’ well known books is “A Tale of Two Cities.”  Today, we were treated to two tales about the same city. We’re taking a day off in Sanderson, Texas, which gives us time to ride more leisurely around town and talk with people.

For the sake of all involved, let’s not identify the first couple. We met them in a small convenience store they own. They gave us valuable insight into the economics of a part of the local economy that works very well. He is a guide for hunters who come into town to hunt wild animals. The animals range from local deer to Kudu, Gemsbok, Ibix, the latter three native to southern Africa. They are familiar to Chris from her time there.  They are not native to Texas.

“Tom” explained that the first specimens of each are brought here, then bred in captivity. Bred for hunting purposes. There was a picture on the wall of a Gemsbok a hunter killed three weeks ago. Tom charged him $8000 for the hunt. Some went to Tom, and some went to the ranch owner.

Tom guides hunters on a 23,000 acre ranch. The owner has $2,000,000 worth of animals. How do you get to that figure? Tom explained that a female Gemsbok sells for $50,000.  Multiply that by the many animals they make available for hunting.

After the hunt, “Marie” offers butchering and taxidermy services. We bought some delicious summer sausage.

Tom and Marie also offered insight into the attitudes of the town towards people from Mexico who cross the southern border asking for asylum. “We call them wetbacks,” Tom explained. “We track  them through the ranch with the cameras we have set up to track the animals. The other day we ‘ambushed’ a group of 18.”  By ambush, he didn’t mean they shot them. They held them at gunpoint until Border Patrol got there. Just like they did with the 5 people who came into their small store the week before. “That was the worst decision they made all day, “Maria explained. “We “held them” until the Border Patrol got here.”

Tom and Marie say that the situation with people crossing the Southern border has gotten immeasurably worse since the last election. “Before it was just 2 or 3 at a time,” Tom said. “Now we’ve never seen so many.”

We talked for awhile, paid for our food, and headed out the door. “Run over some wetbacks,” Tom said. “What?” Chris asked?  “Oh, I was just kidding,”Tom said.

20 miles down the road, in the heart of Sanderson, is another small general store. This is the second time Apollonia (she goes by Apple) has run this store. She sold it when her husband got a job in North Dakota. She opened it again when her husband’s job brought them back to town. Her husband had a 30 year career with the Border Patrol. After he retired, he became the Deputy Sheriff for the County, a job he continues to this day.

Apple has 7 children. Her youngest is in High School in Sanderson. Her other 6 have all left town  “That’s what happens with all the children here”, Apple explained. 

Apple tries to stock up on groceries people in town need. But she has to drive almost 100 miles to buy the groceries. When she adds a markup to cover her costs and stay in business, people in town have a hard time affording it. It’s not that it is ultimately cheaper for them to spend the gas money to drive the 100 miles themselves, but somehow the town of 500 hasn’t come up with a way to consolidate all the shopping that is done to support a full fledged grocery store.

But chance, Apple’s husband stopped by. He was glad to talk about his history in town, his work as a Deputy Sheriff and changes he has seen.  He did not want his picture taken. I am not using his name. At a certain point in our conversation, he asked if we could go outside the store to talk.

“When I started with the Border Patrol, I was assigned to El Paso. The number of people crossing the border then was about the same as the number of people who cross now,” he said. I was curious. Even skeptical. I explained that when we in Michigan heard the news about the crossings at the Southern border, it sounded like an invasion.

That’s not how saw it. It’s not like nobody's crossing. He is involved in patrolling a stretch of Highway 90 that is 90 long and 60 miles deep. He is involved in apprehending people who cross.  He is involved in rescuing people who get in trouble. Sometimes they die. Die of thirst in the summer heat. Die of the cold in the winter time. “Last year we had 18 dead in this jurisdiction. This year we have 2 already, and it’s not even hot yet.  Plus, there are many more who die that we never know about. With this vast area and rugged terrain, many simply disappear.”

But the biggest changes he has seen are in the number of Border Patrol agents that have been created, and the huge bureaucracy that supports that. “It’s kind of like anything the Federal government does, “ he said. “Throw money at it. Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians.” (Using his terms). “They don’t ask those of us on the ground what would be helpful.”

He had a simple explanation as well for much of the increase in the number of reported apprehensions. Before, US policy was to process asylum seekers in the United States. If they were denied asylum, they would be returned to their country of origin. So a person from Guatemala, for instance, who was denied asylum, was deported to Guatemala. They might decide to make the long trek north, he said, but maybe not. Even if they did, it would take a long time.

Now, with the “Remain in Mexico” policy the previous administration initiated, a person from Guatemala who is apprehended on US soil is taken back across the border to Mexico to wait for a hearing. Which means they wait a single day before trying again. And if they are apprehended again, they try again the next day. A large number of the apprehensions we read about are the repeat detentions of the same people.

“How about the efforts of people like ranchers and the storekeepers up the road who detain people seeking asylum?” I asked. He did not look amused. “It is illegal to hold someone at gunpoint who has not harmed you or come onto your property with ill intent,” he said. “ You have now become the person who has committed the illegal act.”

So what do I make of this?  Well, I’m still processing it. But a few things stick out. First, the numbers don’t match. The man with 30 years in the Border Patrol and the man who is tracking asylum seekers through the ranch are simply not reporting the same numbers. Second, the reason for what increased numbers there are are very different. One sees a policy change by the previous administration as contributing greatly to the increase in reported apprehensions. The other sees the current administration as solely responsible for the increase. Finally, one sees the similarity between the great European migrations of 300 years ago and the current efforts to seek asylum, while the other sees people to be run over.

“I like to remind people that the thousands of miles of ocean between Europe and this land didn’t stop people from coming here 300 years ago. What makes them think people who are only separated by a river won’t come here?  They’re all seeking the same three things. Freedom from an abusive government. Safety from violence. And a chance to earn enough to support their family.”

Both men agree that there are some
“Bad people” who are crossing the border, and facilitating the trip for others. But one sees the entire issue through the lens of the worst of those people. The other sees the people coming now through the lens of most of our ancestors, who came much earlier.

“Not everyone who comes into this store would agree with me,” the Deputy says. “And that’s okay. This is America.”

True enough. But somehow, we as a country have to find enough common ground on this issue to shape more humane and productive policies regarding people who are seeking a better life today, just as our as ancestors did “ yesterday”.