As 1,000 immigrant rights supporters flooded the Texas Capitol, Irving Representative Matt Rinaldi got involved in a scuffle with Representative Poncho Nevárez. The dispute supposedly began when Rinaldi told two Hispanic lawmakers that he called Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Senate Bill 4 protesters at the Capitol.
Rinaldi said on Facebook that he called immigration agents “on several illegal immigrants who held signs in the gallery which said ‘I am illegal and here to stay.'”
“There was a subsequent exchange between my [...] Poncho and Representative Rinaldi and there was a threat made from Rinaldi to put a bullet in one of my colleague’s heads,” Representative Justin Rodriguez told reporters after the incident. “That kind of threatening language, he needs to be called out and held accountable for.”
“I made it clear that if he attempted to, in his words, ‘get me,’ I would shoot him in self defense,” Rinaldi said. “I am currently under DPS protection.”
Nevárez responded on Twitter: “He’s a liar and hateful man. Got no use for him. God bless him.”
The dispute came as Rep. Blanco and Rep. Romero were proudly discussing the hundreds of protesters who filled the gallery with banners and chants and were ultimately kicked out, Romero said. House rules prohibit any show of support or opposition from the gallery.
The dispute is the latest in several contentious moments around Senate Bill 4, the anti-’sanctuary cities’ law that critics say will encourage racial profiling and tear immigrant families apart.
The law, which goes into effect September 1, will allow police to ask people who’ve been detained about their immigration status. It also threatens to jail law enforcement officials who limit cooperation with federal immigration agents. The law has already prompted at least three Texas cities to take legal action against the state.
As a representative of the residents in Irving, Rinaldi should learn to respect hispanics and not stoop to threatening other representatives. Rinaldi's actions are an embarassment to the diverse population of Irving and should be held accountable for his actions and words.
