Sues To Stop Aerial Surveillance Of U.S./Mexico Border

A resident of Laredo, TX of Hispanic descent has filed a lawsuit against Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state of Texas saying aerial surveillance of the border between Texas and Mexico racially targets Mexicans.

The suit was filed by Manuel F. Flores in Webb County, TX on Friday. Breitbart reports that in his complaint, Flores claims that the state's UAVs unconstitutionally film Mexicans along the southwest border.

The law allowing the surveillance became effective in 2013, according to the report. It allows "the unfettered acquisition of drone-captured imagery ‘of real property or a person on real property that is within 25 miles of the United States border."

Flores lives within 25 miles of the border, and says that if the images can be captured there, they should be allowed in the rest of the state.

In his lawsuit, Flores says that "Inexplicably, the Texas Legislature and Governor Abbott has chosen to make this artificial strip of lands 25 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border a playground for drone enthusiasts who would otherwise be precluded from filming people in their homes, washing their cars, gardening in their yard, or simply walking on their private property like Plaintiff Flores."

A spokesman for the Texas Attorney General said that the AG takes every challenge to Texas law seriously, and "will respond appropriately upon our review of the suit.”

FMI: www.webbcountytx.gov/DistrictClerk