Director of an El Paso-based advocacy group challenges the portrayal of migrant crime on Capitol Hill

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The executive director of an El Paso-based immigration organization was on Capitol Hill Tuesday to testify before a congressional committee about the realities of life in a border city.

Estrella Del Paso CEO Melissa Lopez was one of eight witnesses who testified during a hearing before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.

The hearing, titled “The Biden-Harris Border Crisis: Victims’ Perspectives,” focused on victims of violent crimes committed by migrants.

Lopez, however, was there to counter narratives about a “wave of migrant crime” – especially in the border region.

“It was clear to me throughout the hearing that there is a real lack of understanding of how things actually work at the border,” Lopez said. “There continues to be a lot of false rhetoric and a lot of false conversations that do not correspond to what we are seeing day in and day out.”

Lopez said the “overwhelming majority” of people Estrella Del Paso works with come into the country through “legal channels” and present themselves for processing before heading to other parts of the country where they can find work and a future that is “safe and peaceful and away from the violence they are used to in their home countries.”

While Lopez went into the hearing with the intention of discussing the systemic problems of mass immigration and proposals to fix the country's broken immigration system, she said it was clear that some committee members were only interested in political games.

“Frankly, the hearing got a little political on the immigration issue, so the focus wasn't very much on policy,” Lopez said. “It didn't seem to me like there was a real attempt to get to the root of the problem or look for solutions.”

Lopez said she was “incredibly grateful” to the families affected by crimes committed by migrants, and especially to the mothers who testified.

Still, she said Estrella Del Paso and similar groups will continue to advocate for immigrants “looking for a better life.”

“We will continue to advocate for better immigration opportunities and better immigration systems for those who come to the United States and are simply looking for a better life, some security and some peace,” Lopez said.

Lopez also stated:

• Anne Fundner, mother of Weston Fundner, victim of fentanyl poisoning
• April Aguirre, Crime Victim Advocate
• Patty Morin, mother of Rachel Morin, victim of a criminal illegal immigrant
• Mike Boudreaux, Sheriff, Tulare County, California
• Tammy Nobles, mother of Kayla Hamilton, victim of a criminal illegal immigrant
• Alexis Nungaray, mother of Jocelyn Nungaray, victim of criminal illegal immigrants
• Melissa Lopez, Executive Director, Estrella del Paso (formerly known as Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services) – Testimony
• Cecilia Farfán-Méndez, Ph.D., Associate Researcher, Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California, San Diego – Testimony

Watch the full hearing below;

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