Michael Karlis
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro speaks throughout an occasion in San Antonio final yr.
The partner of a sufferer who was murdered in an alleged racially-motivated hate crime final yr can be U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro’s (D-San Antonio) particular visitor at President Biden’s State of the Union handle subsequent Thursday.
Aaron Martinez was shot a number of instances and killed at his ranch in Forney, a rural suburb of Dallas, precisely 10 months in the past. Members of the family, neighbors, and Castro keep that Martinez’s homicide was racially motivated and that the suspect, Trevor McEuen, had made derogatory and threatening remarks in direction of Martinez within the months previous to the incident.
Martinez’s partner, Priscilla Martinez, can be attending the State of The Union subsequent week to assist elevate consciousness of the results of Republican’s hateful rhetoric directed at Latinos, Castro stated.
“The actions and the rhetoric of our state and nationwide leaders are empowering violent racists to consider that they will assault immigrants or folks they consider to be immigrants, individuals who they consider appear to be immigrants, with impunity,” Castro instructed reporters throughout a Friday afternoon press name. “That’s what I consider, partially not less than, led to Aaron’s demise. And until we curb the unfold of hate, I am fearful that his demise will not be the final.”
Castro has been among the many most vocal critics of Gov. Greg Abbott and presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s “migrant invasion” rhetoric, which he says emboldens white supremacists to commit acts of terror towards minorities.
One such instance Castro usually cites is the 2019 mass taking pictures at an El Paso Walmart, by which a self-proclaimed white supremacist killed 23 largely Hispanic victims in a racially motivated assault.
“You’ll be able to’t go round judging folks simply due to the colour of their pores and skin. I am American. So, simply because I am brown, you are going to kill me simply because I am brown,” Priscilla Martinez stated of her husband’s demise. “That is not proper. So, for this to happen actually hurts. He was taken in such an unsightly manner and for nothing.”
Regardless of calls from Castro and civil rights teams, prosecutors haven’t but formally dominated Prisicilla’s husband’s demise a hate crime, and a trial date has not but been set.
Biden’s State of the Union will air on most nationwide television information networks on Thursday, March 7 at 8 p.m. CST. Of us may also livestream Biden’s speech right here.
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