La inviabilidad del perdón para la reconstrucción de espacio público

Culberson County does not share an international boundary with Mexico, but the southern tip of the county is less than 10 miles from the border. Located between Hudspeth and Jeff Davis counties, Culberson County has major transportation routes, a north-south route connecting the county seat, Van Horn (population 2,435), with Jeff Davis County, and the east-west route, Interstate-10, connecting the county to El Paso and Dallas. The Union Pacific Rail- road runs parallel to Interstate-10, and Van Horn provides rail switching services. Van Horn is principally a rest stop for travelers and tourists, with motels and RV parks beckoning. The Southern Pacific Railroad passes through Lobo on the route through the Davis Mountains as it heads to Houston.

Culberson County’s population was 2,525 in 2006, a 15.1 percent decline since 2000. Hispanics and Latinos com- prise 71.5 percent and the balance is primarily white. Median household income in 2003 was $23,850, and per capita income was $15,522. The poverty rate was 23.1 percent. Culberson County’s 2006 general fund was $1,915,443.

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Culberson County, with only a tip near the border, does not have a port of entry. Its rugged mountains prevent undocumented entrants from crossing, but drug smugglers hire “mules” to carry narcotics through the county in backpacks. The rail lines are more likely to be used to smuggle human cargo, which often leads to treacherous condi- tions for migrants. Interstate-10 offers an additional point of transit for smugglers, though migrants do not settle in the county. The Border Patrol apprehended 385 undocumented persons in 2006. Table T29 presents these statistics.

Table T29: Culberson County Border Statistics

Population Square Miles Border Length Ports of Entry Legal Crossings Apprehensions

2,525 3,812 0 Miles 0 0 385

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Culberson County spent $238,611 to provide services for undocumented immigrants. A site visit was made in March 2007 where a few officials were interviewed and the budget was reviewed. Additional data were gathered through e-mails and phone calls. The general fund suggests that an indirect cost rate of 24 percent should be applied to direct costs. Table T30 presents total costs by department.

Table T30: Culberson County Costs by Department Total Cost: $238,611

Per Capita Cost: $94.50

Sheriff Detention District and

County Clerk District Court County Attorney Justice of the Peace Adult Probation $119,846 $59,923 $9,539 $5,822 $13,020 $30,312 $149

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The general fund expenditure for the sheriff’s department was $483,247 in 2006. (Roughly half goes to jail opera- tions.) Deputies estimate that about 40 percent of patrol, investigation and administration operations are directed at undocumented immigrant activities. The direct cost is $96,650, and $23,196 in indirect costs brings the total impact to $119,846, shown in table T31.

Table T31: Culberson County Sheriff Impact

Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$241,624 40% $96,650 $23,196 $119,846

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The 17-bed jail is operated by the sheriff’s department. The 2006 budget was roughly $241,624, which includes prisoner medical and jail supplies. Jail records indicate that the percentage of undocumented immigrants detained on state charges is 20 percent, for a direct cost of $48,325. General government costs bring the total impact to $59,923, as the following table enumerates.

Table T32: Culberson County Detention Impact

Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$241,624 20% $48,325 $11,598 $59,923

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Culberson County is represented by the El Paso County District Attorney. The office reports no impact on its work- load due to undocumented immigrants.

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Undocumented immigrants were not served by public defenders in 2006.

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The combined office of County and District Clerk handles administrative record keeping associated with both crimi- nal and civil cases heard in district court. Other duties include filing legal documents, titles and proceedings, and disposing of and collecting money and related fees. The general fund expenditure was $125,797; the criminal portion is 60 percent, and the impact on the criminal side was estimated to be 10 percent. Figures are arrayed in table T33.

Table T33: Culberson County District and County Clerk Impact

Crim Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$75,478 10% $7,548 $1,811 $9,359

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Both the 205th _{and the 394}th _{District Courts serve Culberson County; district judges sit in Brewster County and El}

Paso County, respectively. Costs include those for travel, bailiff, court reporter and court interpreter, as well as a small portion of judges’ salaries. The general fund expenditure for district court was $78,247, about 60 percent of which is for criminal work. With an undocumented immigrant impact of 10 percent, the total cost for judicial services is $5,822, shown in the table below.

82 | US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition

Table T34: Culberson County District Court Impact

Crim Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$46,948 10% $4,695 $1,127 $5,822

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The county attorney estimates that 10 percent of his office’s workload involved undocumented immigrants. The gen- eral fund expenditure was $104,992, for a direct impact of $10,500. Table T35 presents all costs.

Table T35: Culberson County Attorney Impact

Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$104,992 10% $10,500 $2,520 $13,020

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The justice of the peace courts are charged with the responsibility for all civil cases with less than $5,000 in con- troversy and Class C misdemeanor cases with less than $500 in controversy. Along Interstate-10, driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, suspended licenses and uninsured motorists comprise the majority of charges. About 10 percent of the motorists charged under these violations are undocumented persons. The general fund bud- get for justice of the peace and constable amounted to $244,453. Impact statistics are presented in table T36 below.

Table T36: Culberson County Justice of the Peace and Constable Impact

Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$244,453 10% $24,445 $5,867 $30,312

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West Texas Community Probation in El Paso County provides services to adult probationers in Culberson County. Records indicate that 8 percent of the county’s caseload involves undocumented probationers, for a direct cost of $120. Statistics are presented in the table below.

Table T37: Culberson County Adult Probation Impact

Budget Impact Direct Cost Gen Gov Total Cost

$1,500 8% $120 $29 $149

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Though costs to Culberson County have dropped by two-thirds since 1999 (there were 1,400 apprehensions in 1999 compared to 385 in 2006), from $610,104 to $238,611, the cost is still more than 10 percent of the general fund, a sizeable chunk. Moreover, aggregate costs, assuming a steady decline over the years, would be about $3.2 million. Culberson County by all measures is very poor, and even $238,000 could be better spent on tangible assets for citi- zens. One county commissioner, when asked what the greatest needs of the county are, declared “Such a wish list I don’t know where to begin.”