Sheriff Javier Salazar speaks during an immigration town hall meeting Monday evening at UTSA's Buena Vista Theater. A number of attendee's were dismayed that the event was in Spanish and not advertised as a Spanish-only.
Robin Jerstad, San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
Jacob Beltran, Staff writer
SAN ANTONIO — Hate mail and calls are pouring into the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office after Sheriff Javier Salazar announced an investigation into how 48 South American migrants were “lured” onto a flight to Martha’s Vineyard.
A sheriff’s office spokesman said the agency received an influx of calls to both the dispatch and administrative offices, along with hateful emails.
He said precautionary measures will be taken for the safety of all personnel, as is done in any instance when the office receives threats.
On Monday, the sheriff said his organized crime division is working to determine what crimes were committed — possibly human trafficking — in Bexar County by a person who was paid a fee to recruit 50 migrants on Sept. 14 from the city’s Migrant Resource Center, 7000 San Pedro Ave.
Salazar said the migrants, many Venezuelan asylum-seekers, were preyed upon by someone from out of the state and offered jobs and a stay at a hotel in Massachusetts. Instead, they were shuttled onto two chartered jets for what was ultimately a photo opportunity, which the sheriff said was wrongdoing from a human rights perspective.
In the days since, his comments have made national headlines, garnering public criticism by Attorney General Ken Paxton and a jest during a segment by “Late Night” talk show host Stephen Colbert.