Abbott Threatens $1.6B TxDOT Freeze, Laredo To Pave Over Anti-Border Wall Mural
Laredo’s city council voted 8–1 to repave a street and cover a 2020 mural reading “DEFUND THE WALL — FUND OUR FUTURE” after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold $1.6B in TxDOT funding. Councilwoman Melissa Cigarroa, the lone dissenter, called the move “extortion.” The city will spend $50,000 to resurface the block outside the federal courthouse. The episode highlights growing use of transportation funding leverage to influence local decisions tied to border wall politics and expression.
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