Texas city removes anti-border wall mural after loss of funding threat from governor

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HOUSTON (AP) — A South Texas city has removed a mural protesting the border wall along the southern border with Mexico following a threat by Gov. Greg Abbott to withhold up to $1.6 billion in road funding.

The mural, which was painted on a street in front of the federal courthouse in Laredo and said, “Defund the Wall,” was removed Tuesday evening, said Noraida Negron, a spokesperson for the city of Laredo.

Its removal came after Laredo’s City Council on Monday voted to do so.

Laredo is the latest U.S. city to remove political messages or artwork from roadways following a directive from the administration of President Donald Trump and action by Republicans.

In August, Florida officials removed a rainbow-colored crosswalk outside the Pulse nightclub where 49 people were gunned down. In March, crews in Washington, D.C., removed a large yellow “Black Lives Matter” mural that had been painted on a street one block from the White House. The removal came after pressure from Republicans in Congress.

During an at times contentious meeting on Monday, Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño said he had requested a vote on the mural’s removal after receiving a letter earlier this month from the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, directing the city to eliminate the mural or risk losing up to $1.6 billion in funding for roads.

“We’re not going to devastate our community for what is considered one particular vantage point on our public roads, even if this speech may be popular or well received,” Treviño said.

On Oct. 8, Abbott directed TxDOT to ensure that all Texas cities and counties are in compliance with federal and state guidelines on roadway safety and that symbols, flags and other markings conveying social or political messages were prohibited.

“Texans expect their taxpayer dollars to be used wisely, not advance political agendas on Texas roadways,” Abbott said in a statement.

Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Wednesday.

Abbott’s directive came after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in July sent letters to all U.S. governors saying that intersections and crosswalks needed to be kept free from distractions as part of a nationwide roadway initiative.

“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork,” Duffy said in a statement in July.

The mural in Laredo was painted in 2020 using private funds and came amid lawsuits and protests against the building of the border wall in the area. In 2021, federal officials terminated all remaining border contracts for the Laredo sector.

In Laredo, Elsa Hull a landowner who opposed the building of the border wall, told city council members on Monday that the state’s order to remove the mural was “bullies threatening our city.”

“This mural enabled the people to unite and stand against injustice and allowed us to keep our land, our homes, and our river from being taken away from us. This is part of our history. Don’t erase our voices completely,” Hull said.

The removal of the mural in Laredo comes as earlier this month officials in Houston removed a rainbow-colored crosswalk that had been in place for the last eight years to honor in part the LGBTQ+ community.

During a City Council meeting earlier this month, Houston Mayor John Whitmire was critical of Abbott's directive but said the city would likely lose any legal challenge to the order.

“If we do not find ways as a city to take a stand, what’s next?” Houston City Council member Abbie Kamin said. “When something is erased like this that means so much to so many, there is a real toll on the community.”

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