For native Eastonian, former town council member, and a twenty-five year professional with the former Black and Decker plant in town, the thought of one day packing his bags and relocating to Texas, just minutes from the Mexican border, would never have entered the mind of Hoyt Heinmuller. And yet, like many in America in the 1980s who saw their hometown manufacturing company pick up and leave for cheaper labor found in Mexico, Hoyt shocked himself and his family and decided to move to Alamo, Texas in 2006.
The Spy talked to Hoyt at the Bullett House a few weeks ago about this unique journey, as well as his front row seat to the illegal immigration crisis facing the United States. In our interview, Heinmuller talks candidly about life on the border and his own learning curve in understanding the complexity of an issue with no easy answer.
The video is approximately eleven minutes long
Hoyt Heinmuller says
Thanks for the opportunity to meet with you and record the interview. I think you treated me fairly and did not edit out my key feelings about the border and the people who cross it and stay.
We did not get into the costs of undocumented immigrants to the local economy. We have a huge county police force and legal court system. The county is faced with enforcing the laws and absorbing the costs of enforcement. One detail I forgot to mention was the cost of destroying marijuana after the trial. It must be burned in a controlled environment. Two police vehicles and 4 officers drive north at least 4 hours, to take it to a state facility. It is then burned only so many pounds per day, as the smoke emissions exceed the limits.
Many children cross into the US just to attend schools here. They go home on weekends. The independent school district taxes are in my opinion very high. I believe much of it is to cover the costs of children who are not citizens or legal residents. That is a big cost for every taxpayer on a School District by District level. Those people are not from Guatemala but from Tamaulipas State Mexico (Renosa and border towns). The good news is they go home and usually don’t collect other services from local government.
Hoyt