The Golden Cage: An Open Letter to Congresswoman De La Cruz

The Rio Grande Valley Speaks Out — We Deserve Accountability, Action, and Respect

@southtxgrassrootsTeacher from Edinburg ISD is the lone instigator at June 14 protest in McAllen.

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Dear Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz,

For the past couple of weeks, ICE has been sweeping through our communities, detaining day laborers across nearly every industry.

People are living in fear. Children cannot sleep at night, afraid their parents won’t be there in the morning. Mothers are too scared to go buy groceries, and fathers are too afraid to go to work.

District 15 in the Rio Grande Valley is a unique region—where two countries meet like brothers and sisters, supporting one another. Goods and services are exchanged, billions are made for this country, and America thrives from the fruits of our counties’ labor. The people here are just as unique: they are mixed-status families, some born in Mexico but residents of the RGV for over a decade, with U.S. citizen children and spouses. These are hardworking people—so hardworking, in fact, that they accept some of the lowest wages in the country. Businesses thrive off undocumented labor: homes are built, restaurants staffed, shops supported, houses cleaned, and crops harvested.

Our community is often called “La Jaula de Oro”—the Golden Cage—because we live between two U.S. checkpoints, making travel nearly impossible for undocumented residents. Still, they try. Many lose their lives. Human beings don’t take life-or-death risks for fun—they do it to survive. This region has some of the highest poverty rates and reports of wage theft in the nation. And yet, we are home to some of the most proud and hardest-working individuals who contribute to the economy, pay taxes, and receive the least government assistance.

I don’t think I need to tell you about this community—you are from here. You are Mexican American. You know what it’s like for people to see you and think “Mexican” instead of “American.” And you also know what it feels like to not be “Mexican enough” for Mexicans. I see you. I see the proud farmworker parents who struggled to make ends meet so their daughter could have a better life. It’s for those parents and their children that I write this letter.

The current administration’s immigration policies are tearing apart our communities. They hurt the economy by removing people from their workplaces without warrants. Fear is so high that people won’t open their doors—even to law enforcement—or report crimes. Watermelon fields are ripe but unharvested. Restaurants sit empty. Construction is halted in some areas.

And while all this happens, we’ve yet to hear from our elected officials. Instead, we see your smiling face promoting misinformation, supporting policies that slash resources for low-income families while enriching the wealthy with tax breaks and corporate welfare.

On June 14, more than 5,000 people gathered to protest the administration’s policies—just in McAllen, Texas.

Yet the elected leaders of Texas, including yourself, have remained oddly silent. You are our representative. Your salary is paid by our tax dollars—many of which come from undocumented immigrants who file taxes using I-TIN numbers.

This administration is inflicting trauma, abuse, and neglect on our people. One counter-protester who showed up—a self-proclaimed proud Trump supporter—has now been exposed as a sexual predator in a public school system, with multiple reports against him.

I’ve protested against Democrats and Republicans alike—because corporate influence corrupts both parties. That corruption is why so many people no longer vote; they don’t believe their leaders represent them. It’s hard to inspire civic participation when lies and misinformation dominate the conversation.

But you still have a chance. You have a real opportunity to be genuine, to speak directly to the people you represent, and to look out for their well-being.

The world is watching.
Your constituents want answers.
We want to hear directly from you.

How will your legacy be written in history? Will you stand with the undocumented workers whose labor is exploited to meet corporate demand? Will you stand with hardworking people whose lives depend on limited public resources? Will you fight to expand those resources and call out unlawful behavior and corruption?

I hope that instead of misleading, you choose to acknowledge the wisdom and lived experience of your constituents. Many of us are boots on the ground when disaster strikes—natural or man-made. We support our neighbors because we know our elected officials respond too late and with too little. As community organizers, we honor a moral obligation to protect the most vulnerable. But corporate welfare? That never fails to arrive on time.

Sincerely,
Your constituent,
Elizabeth Rodríguez

---

*This letter was lightly edited for clarity. The content remains true to the author’s original message.