In an effort to spotlight the gravity of the ongoing border crisis, a Texas state official is sharing a deeply personal and tragic story. Jim Wright, a state railroad commissioner, hopes that his wife’s devastating experience will resonate with Americans and emphasize the urgent need for addressing issues at the border.
On January 9, 2017, Sherri Wright’s life was irrevocably altered. As she drove back home after dropping off their youngest child at school, her vehicle was struck by another car carrying illegal migrants. This horrific crash left her paralyzed and fighting for her life.
Just a mile from the safety of her home, Sherri’s worst fears became a reality. The violent collision, which has been described as a T-bone crash, shattered the glass around her, embedding shards in her eyes and leaving her in a dire state.
‘It was a normal day, it was on a Monday,’ she told The American Border Story, though she was taking a different route in her Jeep because she was late.
In the aftermath, Sherri vividly recalls the moments of terror and helplessness. “I remember my breath letting go,” she recounted. “I just remember looking up, and glass was going in my eyes.”
Her son, witnessing the scene, desperately tried to aid her, attempting to pry apart the twisted metal of her vehicle in a bid to rescue his mother from the wreckage.
Her other son tried to rescue her by attempting to bend the metal of the vehicle.
Having discovered she was paralyzed, she told husband the depths of her despair.
Sherri Wright’s life was changed forever on January 9, 2017 when an illegal migrant crashed into her vehicle, leaving her permanently paralyzed
Wright had dropped she and her husband Jim’s youngest child at school and was driving about a mile from their home. When returning , a car carrying a group of illegal migrants T-boned her car, leaving her for dead
‘I just told him I didn’t want to live. My whole life I worked. I took care of my kids,’ she said. ‘It changed everything. Basically took away more than half of my life.’
Jim said once he learned of Sherri’s condition, he could only think of ‘revenge’ because of their close bond.
‘She’s not only my wife, she’s my best friend,’ he said. ‘We were never apart. We do better together than we do apart.’
Sherri said she feels that people treat her differently because she has a disability.
‘You know, I go places, and they talk to whoever’s beside me rather than talk to me. Just because my hands and my legs don’t work doesn’t mean that I’m not a person. You deserve the respect that everybody else gets.’
The Wrights are demanding the government redouble their efforts to end the crisis at the border.
‘Families affected by illegal immigrants passing through this border should never have had to endure this. We do not not want you here. Just come here legally,’ Sherri said.
Jim Wright believes this is a cause that touches many others and that the United States must act, potentially even beyond the border.
Having discovered she was paralyzed, she told husband Jim Wright, the state’s railroad commissioner, the depths of her despair
Sherri talked about how disability has made her feel like people treat her differently
‘That’s the root of the cause. Until we can figure out how to get a better grasp on controlling that cartel activity that’s going on in Mexico, I don’t think we’re ever going to be out of the dramatic expense that we’ve had to pay,’ he said.
The pair have, according to Jim, made ‘the best of that situation’ and say it has gotten easier, but Sherri believes she’s one of the lucky ones.
‘I think there’s so many people out there like me. I’m just fortunate that I have a family that have all come around me and helped me and we can do things together as a family instead of me sitting in a nursing home,’ she said.
Donald Trump has made remarkable progress at the border since returning to office.
A Pew Research Center analysis in February claimed US Border Patrol encounters with migrants crossing into the United States from Mexico have fallen to their lowest level in more than 50 years.
However, liberal protesters continue to complain about some of the administration’s methods, as fiery clashes over ICE and detention facilities have taken place in New Jersey over the past week.
Detainees at Delaney Hall in Newark claim they are placed in crowded rooms without air conditioning and served beans with worms inside while their immigration cases are ignored by federal judges for months, the New Jersey Monitor reported.
Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke out about the protests – which led to Democrat Senator Andy Kim being pepper sprayed – at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday.
The pair have, according to Jim, made ‘the best of that situation’ and say it has gotten easier, but Sherri believes she’s one of the lucky ones
‘These aren’t protesters; these people are fake, they’re all paid for. We run the finest facilities anywhere in the world of their type,’ Trump said. ‘There’s nobody that runs a facility like we do.’
Mullin explained that the food is of a high standard but not to the detainees liking.
‘They’re refusing to eat because they want their ethnic food. Well, they can go back to their country and get whatever food they want,’ he said. ‘We’re giving them the calories they want. This isn’t Holiday Inn.’
The facility has been a point of controversy during the second Trump administration, with multiple Democrats demanding its closure over concerns of poor conditions.
