In Harlingen, Texas, the city of Laredo is set to erase a five-year-old anti-border wall mural after an ultimatum from Governor Greg Abbott, who threatened to pull $1.6 billion in transportation funding from the area. The mural, painted on a city road in front of the federal courthouse, boldly stated “DEFUND THE WALL — FUND OUR FUTURE” in large yellow letters.

On Monday, the Laredo City Council decided, with an 8 to 1 vote, to cover up the mural. This artwork was originally created on August 15, 2020, by a group of volunteers advocating for redirected funds away from border wall projects.

City Councilwoman Melissa Cigarroa stood alone in opposition during the council’s special session. Back in 2020, she played a significant role in the No Border Wall Coalition, which organized and financed the mural’s creation.

Speaking to Border Report on Tuesday, Cigarroa emphasized that all necessary approvals were secured when the mural was painted. At the time, the street closure for the project was fully sanctioned, and the initiative complied with city requirements.

Cigarroa accuses the state of resorting to “extortion” by threatening to withhold crucial road funding unless the mural is removed. She believes the mural successfully achieved its aim by spotlighting Laredo on a national stage, highlighting it as one of the few South Texas cities without a border wall along the Rio Grande.

She says the state “used extortion” and threatened to withhold $1.6 billion in state road funds to Laredo if it isn’t removed. But she says the mural did what it was intended to do by drawing national attention to Laredo, which was one of the only South Texas towns not to have a border wall constructed on its banks of the Rio Grande.

“In the end, the fact that it has had a five-year life has been a blessing. I think the issue is still unfortunately present today but it served its purpose. And it is still an example of the amazing community effort to come together and fight against that wall. And our coalition is still strong and still out there organizing around protecting our water, and being more aware of conservation efforts along the river bank to protect the river as our only source of drinking water,” Cigarroa told Border Report.

“Paving over the mural, the symbolism isn’t wrapped up in trying to silence us because that isn’t going to happen, right? We’ve already proven that — the coalition. But it’s more a symbolism of what this administration and this governor are doing to the freedom of expression in communities. And if they want to pretend it’s road safety but that’s an invented justification. Really it is about silencing communities,” Cigarroa said.

The city council will now spend $50,000 in city road funds to repave the street, which Cigarroa calls “an unfunded mandate that we now have to swallow as a city.”

“And it’s all due to the threats by the governor,” she said. “This over-bearing reinvention of the rules … This is a city street. It’s not a TxDOT street.”

The mural was painted in the middle of a block in downtown Laredo in front of the federal courthouse and George P. Kazan Federal Building.

It’s the same courthouse where the coalition also placed hundreds of pairs of shoes on the front steps to signify migrants who have crossed from Mexico.

After the Laredo city council approved the street mural in early August 2020, a faction of the coalition, called the Mothers And Grandma’s Against the Wall (MAGAW) sent home-baked cookies and cakes to every council member as a gesture of thanks.

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.