Federal response satisfies border killing protesters

By JUDY WIESSLER
Copyright 1997 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON A delegation from the South Texas town of Redford
protesting a border shooting by Marines said they were satisfied
with the reception from federal officials.

"My impression is that we did get a lot of good response" from
meetings with members of Congress, the White House drug czar and
officials of the Pentagon and Immigration and Naturalization
Service, said resident Diana Valenzuela.

Although no policy changes were announced, "I really believe they
are going to try to do something about it," she said in reference
to the May 20 killing of 16yearold Esequiel Hernandez Jr. while
he was tending goats near Redford.

The handful of residents, who said their town has 100 people,
came to Washington to press for major changes in federal policy,
topped by terminating all military operations involving U.S.
troops in the U.S.Mexico border zone.The antidrug patrol
operation that resulted in Hernandez' death involved Marines, in
a task force under the supervision of the Border Patrol. The
death is under investigation by state and federal authorities.

The Rev. Melvin La Follette said the Redford group met one of its
"principal objectives: to show them by presenting our live
bodies, that actual fleshandblood human beings live on the
border and are affected by policy decisions that are made in
Washington."

After meeting with the residents' group, he said, the officials
will be able to say, "I know now that, even though there aren't
very many people there, there are people, United States citizens
on the border and perhaps a little bit of attention ought to be
paid to their needs and their rights."

The TexasMexico border is not totally inhabited by "aliens,
terrorists and smugglers" was the message Enrique Madrid wanted
to convey."We are not enemies of the United States. We do not
deserve to be treated as enemies," Madrid said.

The Redford group members acknowledged no one offered to change
national policy due to the killing, but they said they were
pleased to be going home with the assurance that Congress will
have an investigative hearing in September.