4’x5’
This painting is based on the story of Teresa Todd, an elected official and government lawyer who lives in a Texas desert border region near Big Bend National Park. ( See “Failing NYT” article on May 11, 2019).
She pulled over to help three young Central American migrants who had flagged her down. She told them to get into her car and out of the cold; one ended up being hospitalized for four days. Soon, a sheriff’s deputy and Border Patrol drove up, read the Miranda Rights to her, and took her to a holding cell where they briefly detained her. They obtained a search warrant to examine her phone; she did not get her phone back for 53 days.
As the Trump Administration tries to shut down illegal border crossings, it has stepped up punitive measures targeting private citizens who provide compassionate care to migrants -" good samaritan” aid.