Protest Held Before First Milwhite Inc. Lawsuit Hearing

BROWNSVILLE, Texas— Today marked the commencement of a court hearing concerning the City of Brownsville’s legal action against Milwhite Incorporated, pertaining to dust-related issues affecting residents of Rey Jaime Street.

The City of Brownsville has initiated legal proceedings against Milwhite Incorporated due to concerns regarding dust impacting the health and property of residents in the vicinity.

The first in a series of hearings commenced on March 7th at the Cameron County Courthouse. Prior to entering the courtroom, affected residents staged a brief protest outside, subsequently joining their legal representatives alongside Milwhite’s legal team inside.

During the proceedings, representatives from both parties presented evidence, with Judge David Sanchez of Cameron County presiding over the case.

Judge Sanchez emphasized the importance of upholding ordinances and ensuring the safety of residents, stating, “They’re violating ordinances, they need to fix it. And if they need to pay for that, they need to pay for that.”

Armando DeLeon III, Chairman of the Milwhite Inc. board, was the first to testify. His legal counsel acknowledged previous ordinance violations but argued that the current dust issue originates beyond their facility.

Responding to Milwhite’s argument regarding their right to continue operations, Martin Vega, Assistant Director of Land Development for the City of Brownsville, emphasized the city’s obligation to address complaints and nuisances. He stated, “One thing that has to be considered is that if there is complaints or a nuisance going on, the city does have to act. We’re obligated to do so.”

The city aims to obtain an injunction against Milwhite to safeguard residents from current operational practices. Conversely, Milwhite contends that they are not in violation of any ordinances and should be permitted to continue their operations.

The hearings are set to continue next week as the legal proceedings unfold.