TRI-COUNTY — Soon, the Big Bend region will have a local chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a national civil rights organization founded in 1929 to strengthen Latino communities.
This week, Ramon Rodriguez Aranda and Hilary Scruggs Beebe — who are also affiliated with the Presidio County Democrats — and Garrett Mormando, an activist who is helping the chapter get on its feet, held informational sign-up sessions in Fort Davis and Marfa to recruit local LULAC members.
With the help of the Jeff Davis County Democrats, the fledgling LULAC chapter was able to recruit around 14 individuals, putting it over the 11 minimum requirement for a local chapter.
The Presidio County Community Fund is helping pay for start-up costs, and once paperwork is finalized, Aranda will serve as the president of the chapter. The council, the first of its kind in the region, is open to everyone. Meeting format and frequency is to be determined.
An initial chapter meeting, which LULAC Texas State Director Gabriel Y. Rosales will be present for, is to take place later this spring.
Aranda and Beebe said they are excited to tap into the extensive network and resources available through LULAC, which will help support other local political organizations like the Big Bend Democrats PAC and Presidio County Democrats.
LULAC’s advocacy areas include pension reform, voting rights, immigration reform, the environment, education and healthcare access.
Aranda said he plans to leverage LULAC’s resources on voter education and voting rights to help improve voter turnout among the Hispanic population — which makes up the majority of the county. He also received a sponsorship from LULAC to attend a young leaders conference in Washington, D.C.
Given the current political turmoil surrounding immigration issues, and Presidio’s County’s location along the border, Beebe said it also won’t hurt to be armed with LULAC legal and organizational resources if needed. LULAC made headlines in the fall of 2024 for their role in defending Democratic Texas House candidate Cecilia Castellano after Attorney General Ken Paxton launched a voter fraud investigation that involved pre-dawn raids at the homes of election volunteers.