Texas Gov. Greg Abbott slammed for calling shooting victims 'illegal immigrants'

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday called the victims of a mass shooting in Texas over the weekend "illegal immigrants," drawing searing backlash for "dehumanizing" them. Abbott announced on his personal and state Twitter accounts a $50,000 reward for the person who used an AR-15 rifle to kill five neighbors execution-style, including a 9-year-old boy, in Cleveland, Texas, on Friday night. The suspect, Francisco Oropesa, was at large Monday afternoon. Alleged Texas gunman continues to evade intense manhunt MAY 2, 202302:15 Abbott, a Republican, said the reward was for a fugitive "who is in the country illegally and killed five illegal immigrants." The post drew immediate backlash on social media from critics and a "community note" that adds context from readers who said the original tweet is misleading. The note said that at least one of the victims was a legal resident of the U.S. and added their names. The youngest victim was Daniel Enrique Laso, who officials originally said was 8, but NBC News confirmed was 9. The other four were identified by police as Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; and Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18. “It’s below the dignity of the governor to impugn the victims of a mass shooting about their legal status," said Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "All of the victims are Latino and so is the suspected gunman. This is a tragedy that involves another serial killing and a weapon for war that was used in the killing. That’s the issue, not the legal status of the victims." Maritza Wong, a volunteer with Texas Moms Demand Action, a group that advocates for stricter gun laws, said: “The first statement out of Greg Abbott’s mouth is to turn this tragedy into a dog whistle. Meanwhile our governor refuses to make the most basic changes to Texas gun laws that would make our families safer and every day he does so he is abdicating public safety.” Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of the immigration advocacy group America’s Voice, said in an email that "the only thing that should matter to the Governor” is that this was "another mass shooting that killed innocent people" living in Texas. “Shame on Governor Abbott for turning a horrific family and community tragedy into another in his relentless effort to dehumanize immigrants and demonize immigration," she said. "Not only is it an obscene distraction that compounds one family’s grief, but of all people, Greg Abbott should understand the power of words and the responsibility of his public rhetoric.” Renae Eze, a spokeswoman for the governor, blamed the federal government a statement Monday afternoon for providing the state incorrect information about the suspect and the victims. "We've since learned that at least one of the victims may have been in the United States legally," Eze said. "We regret if the information was incorrect and detracted from the important goal of finding and arresting the criminal," she said. The office also said "any loss of life is a tragedy, and our hearts go out to the families who have lost a loved one." Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to an email Monday morning inquiring about the immigration status of the victims. For more information, visit us at https://www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com/.