15 Oct San Ygnacio Residents Rally Over Border Wall Plans for Their Riverfront

San Ygnacio residents gathered at the town plaza Saturday night to back their effort to keep border wall construction off their riverfront, per the Zapata County News. They called it “San Ygnacio Strong.”

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar used the event to honor Joel Ruiz, 90, an Air Force veteran and riverfront landowner. In a post on X, Cuellar said Ruiz served 20 years, carried out rescue missions in Vietnam, earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and had a role in returning the Apollo 11 crew. The paper reported Ruiz has 13 service medals in all.

Cuellar also received a petition from resident Chip Briscoe, signed by many county residents, asking him to press Homeland Security to keep the wall off their riverbank. Cuellar said he has worked to shield towns such as San Ygnacio from what he called wasteful wall projects and will keep fighting for property rights and river access.

Briscoe, an archaeological preservationist, and Ruiz have taken legal action targeting the government and the contractors. Briscoe tied the fight to 1951, when, organizers say, residents won recognition that part of the riverfront belongs to the town, the basis of its claim today. Seventy-five years ago, he said, veterans and community leaders stood up to government overreach. Descendants of that generation were honored Saturday.

Elsa Hull, a resident and co-organizer, said contractors Kiewit and Southwest Valley Constructors didn’t expect resistance, and that neighbors have blocked them from the land for more than four months.