THE EL PASO TIMES VIA AP
U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, second from left, speaks with four other Democratic members of Congress after touring the Tornillo international port of entry where several thousand immigrant teens are being housed on Saturday. With him are from left, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon and Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.
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I write to thank the people of Hawaii for sharing their outstanding U.S. Senate team of Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz with the people of Texas.
I wept this week when I learned of the death of 7-year-old Guatemalan asylum seeker Jakelin Caal Maquin approximately two blocks from my house at Providence Memorial Hospital in El Paso, after she had been in the custody of the West Texas sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Recently, Hirono was here in Tornillo, Texas, trying to exercise oversight of the refugee children’s prison camp. Schatz also has been here before and has spoken out against this unspeakable cruelty. While sadness fills my heart, I say to the kind people of Hawaii, mahalo nui loa.
Maria I. Hernandez
El Paso, Texas
A kinder, gentler time
In the spirit of this holiday season, and after what some consider a particularly divisive election year, we invite you, dear readers, to write in about kindness — something so special, touching or positive that it should be shared with our community.
Send a 150-word letter, or a commentary at 500-600 words, to letters@staradvertiser.com by Dec. 19 evening. A collection of these will run on Dec. 23, just before Christmas.
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