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Four years ago, Ana was at an El Paso Walmart buying the makings of a birthday cake for her husband. She was with her son, then 9 years old.
Wednesday, she was part of a virtual conference, recounting the 2019 afternoon a gunman opened fire at the store, killing 23 people and wounding 22 more.
The killer is a self-proclaimed white supremacist who posted a racist manifesto online before the massacre. He was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences for federal charges last month and his state case is ongoing.
“My husband always tells me that the greatest gift he has on Aug. 3 is that we are still alive,” said Ana, who was only identified by her first name.
Immigrant advocacy groups, including America’s Voice and the El-Paso-based Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, attended the virtual news conference. Attorneys and community leaders spoke about immigration policy, mental health and the link between nativist rhetoric and gun violence in the United States.
Las Americas serves many of victims of the Walmart shooting, deputy director Christina Garcia said. Victims of a major crime are eligible for U-visas in the United States. Garcia said her organization has submitted 50 U-visa applications for survivors of the Walmart shooting and family members of the deceased. Only one — a visa for a minor — has been approved.
Without those approvals, individuals are unable to obtain a work visa, Garcia said. In Ana’s case, she has struggled to pay her family’s unexpected medical bills because she doesn’t have the authorization she needs to work and support herself. Without a work permit, she also can’t access government assistance.
Garcia said the wait for federal U-visa approval can leave individuals in limbo for up to 20 years.
“It’s not a very victim-centered approach,” she said.
The center looks to meet the legal needs of victims and connect them with outside community resources, Garcia said. She has seen survivors of the shooting and their family members in need of extreme mental health support — and local resources are thinly stretched.
Garcia said clients will deal with that trauma for the rest of their lives.
Mario Carrillo, campaigns manager for America’s Voice, said nativist rhetoric, invasion language and extreme right-wing ideology dehumanizes migrants and asylum seekers — increasing risks of targeted violence against the Hispanic community in Texas and across the country.
Over 10,000 hate crimes per year in the United States per year involve a firearm, per Everytown.
Carrillo said children and families have recently been faced with “cruel policies,” such as barbed-wire barriers at the border. He called on elected officials to actively denounce hatred in their speeches and policymaking.
Community advocates continue to work so the victims of the Walmart shooting and their families might find some justice in the tragedy, Carrillo said.
“We cannot become numb to the cruelty,” he said.