Socorro mayor reports ‘disrespectful’ vandalism on historic landmark

SOCORRO, Texas (KVIA) -- A national historic landmark in Socorro, Texas, had been marked with a swastika and other messages, according to Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr.

On Thursday, the mayor posted that he "will not tolerate hate, racism, or the vandalism of our historic sites or anywhere."

Mayor Cruz Jr. posted a picture of the writing on the historic building, which is located at the Rio Vista National Historic Landmark on Rio Vista Road.

The picture showed spray-painted images of a flag with a swastika, a racial slur and a profane message to ICE.

In 2023, the Secretary of Interior deemed the site as a historic landmark. The Rio Vista NHL was once a farm used to shelter children during the Great Depression and served as the headquarters for the Bracero Program.

The Bracero Program was a federally sponsored labor program that brought migrants to the U.S. from Mexico to work seasonally on short-term contracts.

"What we are seeing here is not just disrespectful. It is disgusting, disgraceful, and completely unacceptable. It shows zero class and a complete disregard for the history, heritage, and people of our community," Cruz Jr. said online.

The mayor continued to say he expects the matter "to be taken seriously" and asked anyone with information about those responsible to report it to authorities.

ABC-7 spoke with Socorro Police Department Chief Robert Rojas about the incident.

"It's hurtful speech, and that's not welcome in the city of Socorro," Chief Rojas said. "The more attention that we give that type of speech, unfortunately, the more satisfaction or gratification they get."

He said SPD is investigating to learn who left the messages.