08/30/2026
🚨 RGV RESIDENTS — I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION ABOUT OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
I’ve seen multiple videos of residents attending city council meetings, asking questions, criticizing decisions, or questioning elected officials, and then being ordered out or escorted out by police or security.
So I genuinely want to know:
What legal right does a city council, mayor, or presiding official have to remove someone from a public city council meeting if that person is NOT being disruptive, threatening anyone, interrupting the meeting, or refusing to follow a legitimate meeting rule?
Texas Government Code §551.007 allows governmental bodies to set reasonable rules for public comments, including time limits. But that same law also says they may not prohibit public criticism of the governmental body, including criticism of its actions, omissions, policies, procedures, programs, or services.
That is why I’m asking the public:
Have you ever been removed, threatened with removal, had your microphone cut off, or been told you could not ask a question or criticize your city council during a public meeting?
I want to hear from residents across the entire RGV:
Sullivan City • La Joya • Peñitas • Palmview • Mission • Alton • Palmhurst • McAllen • Edinburg • Hidalgo • Pharr • San Juan • Alamo • Donna • Edcouch • Elsa • La Villa • Mercedes • Weslaco • Progreso • La Feria • Santa Rosa • Combes • Harlingen • San Benito • Los Indios • Los Fresnos • Olmito • Rancho Viejo • Brownsville.
If someone is yelling over people, threatening someone, refusing to stop after their allotted time, or actually preventing the meeting from continuing, that is a different issue.
But if a resident is standing there peacefully, speaking during their permitted time, asking uncomfortable questions, criticizing elected officials, or demanding answers:
What exactly gives the council the right to have that person removed?
These are public officials conducting public business in public meetings, often using taxpayer-funded buildings and taxpayer-funded police officers.
If you’ve seen this happen anywhere in the Valley, comment the city, what happened, and approximately when it happened.
If there is video, post it.
I really want to know how widespread this is across the RGV.
