Did Texas Department of Public Safety chief really call migrants 'cockroaches'?

Social media users dogpiled Steve McCraw, the outgoing director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, on Monday after he allegedly called immigrants "cockroaches" in a widely circulated video clip.

Critics including San Antonio State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, ex-Chicago Tribune editor Mark Jacob and political advocacy group Mothers Against Greg Abbott unloaded on McCraw over a clip that purportedly shows him declaring a migrant "infestation" in Texas.

But is that what McCraw — who recently announced plans to retire at year's end — really said?

Nothing says Happy Hispanic Heritage month like Immigrants being called cockroaches. 🤬 Immigrants are human beings and they do a lot of the labor around Texas. The real cockroaches are McCraw and Greg Abbott! pic.twitter.com/8GHGw02tNG

— MothersAgainstGregAbbottPAC/MothersforDemocracyPAC (@MomsAGAbbott) September 16, 2024

"Some have been finding it harsh using the term 'infestation' and 'cockroaches' and things like that," McCraw says in the 20-second clip. "All you have to do is interview or spend some time with some migrant victims that are here in this country, and you understand the governor has not overstated the issue. In fact, he has well stated the issue, and Texas is not going to allow any part of this state to be infested with that type of disease."

Clearly, labeling migrants "cockroaches" and a "disease" evokes the kind of rhetoric that should set off alarm bells.

However, as pointed out by some Texas journalists, McCraw's comments have largely been stripped of context.

On Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference in Houston to announce that state law enforcement agencies were cracking down on Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

"We will bring the full weight of the government against the TDA by declaring TDA a foreign terrorist organization," Abbott said.

McCraw spoke after Abbott and began his two-minute-long address by specifically identifying the Venezuelan gang members as the subject of his comments.

"Tren de Aragua gangsters are like cockroaches," McCraw said. "They multiply quickly. Small intrusions into communities become infestations if not aggressively pursued. These Venezuelan thugs, as the governor noted, are highly combative, they're violent, they're certainly adaptable, and always are involved in situations and criminal activities that start with human smuggling."

Gutierrez and others didn't include that detail in their social media posts.

Failed Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw is on video calling Mexicans cockroaches.

This is the same man that had his troopers stand down for over an hour as Latino students and teachers were massacred at an elementary school in Uvalde.

Disgusting.pic.twitter.com/bawEfnUZgr

— Senator Roland Gutierrez (@RolandForTexas) September 16, 2024

Austin-based KXAN reporter Ryan Chandler and WOAI radio host Michael Board defended McCraw, both posting full clips of the DPS director's comments.

"For context here, McCraw was referring specifically to Tren De Arugua gang members," Chandler wrote, attaching a clip of McCraw's full remarks.

For context here, McCraw was referring specifically to Tren De Aragua gang members. https://t.co/xkmqp5DpgT pic.twitter.com/S2pejm78aw

— Ryan Chandler (@RyanChandlerTV) September 16, 2024

"Col. McCraw has a history of making hardline statements on illegal immigration, but, in this case, he was specifically talking about members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Arugua, who are preying on migrant communities in places like El Paso," Board wrote. "This was not a blanket statement."

Col. McCraw has a history of making hardline statements on illegal immigration, but, in this case, he was specifically talking about members of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, who are preying on migrant communities in places like El Paso. This was not a blanket statement #txlege https://t.co/ozwfWJVnu4

— Michael Board (@MikeBoard1200) September 16, 2024

McCraw announced his retirement last month amid criticism over DPS's flawed response to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde.

The DPS chief has drawn fired for his role in Gov. Greg Abbott's $11 billion anti-immigrant crackdown, Operation Lone Star, and immigrant-rights groups accuse his agency of playing fast and loose with data related to the state's activity along the border.

Just the same, this is one of those instances where it's worth pulling back to examine McCraw's comments in context.

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