El Paso City Council passes resolution opposing Texas Congressional Redistricting

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing a proposed congressional redistricting plan that would remove Fort Bliss and the El Paso International Airport from the city’s congressional district, transferring them to a San Antonio-based district.

Council members voiced concern that the proposed map would harm El Paso’s economic future and reduce the city’s influence in Washington by shifting the military post and airport into Congressional District 23, represented by Tony Gonzales.

“As we’re seeing a big power grab at the state level to redraw maps, this is going to really negatively impact El Paso,” District 2 City Rep Josh Acevedo said. “This proposed map takes out the airport and Fort Bliss—two vital assets that our city has.”

The map in question is part of the agenda for the special legislative session convened by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to redraw congressional boundaries.

District 3 City Rep Deanna Maldonado-Rocha co-sponsored the resolution.

Rocha said when she learned about the redistricting on the State Senate side, she submitted testimony virtually.

"Redistricting can affect how our community is represented. We are in a very strategic location for trade and transportation across Texas," Rocha said. "Keeping our community whole helps ensure our lawmakers understand and represent our needs tied to this location and our binational role."

District 7 Rep. Lily Limón called the redistricting “a blatant attempt to wipe out the African American and Latino vote.”

“It is shameful that we’re having to go through this at this time in our lives,” she said. “We thought that civil rights and all of those fights had been settled.”

Chris Canales, who represents District 8, said the redistricting proposal is “not about fair representation” but about political control.

“You don’t have to take it from me,” he said. “Just this morning, Donald Trump said, ‘We have an opportunity in Texas to pick up five seats.’ That tells you everything you need to know.”

Representatives Ivan Niño (District 5), Cynthia Boyar Trejo (District 4), and Alejandra Chávez (District 1) said they supported the resolution as well.

Representative Art Fierro, who previously served in the Texas Legislature, said he found the proposal “mind-boggling.”

“When I served in the 87th Session, the committee was very open to El Paso being represented by somebody local,” Fierro said. "It was very open to somebody not representing El Paso who was living 500 miles away. It was important to the committee then; it was important to the chairman that Fort Bliss and the airport stayed in El Paso."

The resolution passed unanimously and adjourned the special meeting at 11:40 a.m.

ABC-7 contacted Governor Greg Abbott, State Sen. Cesar Blanco, Rep. Veronica Escobar and Rep. Tony Gonzales for interviews.

We were told by each of their staff that Abbott and Escobar were not available.

Blanco's staff said the Senator is "traveling for the NCSL conference in Boston."

Rep. Gonzales has not responded to our request.