Texas official apologizes after criticizing county judge for speaking Spanish

A Texas county official apologized this week after mocking a neighboring county judge for speaking Spanish.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the top elected official in the state’s largest county, has delivered bilingual updates over the past few days about cleanup efforts from a chemical fire.

{mosads}Chambers County Commissioner Mark Tice earned widespread criticism after he commented on CBS affiliate KHOU’s Facebook page’s livestream: “She is a joke. English, this is not Mexico.”

Tice initially doubled down on Tuesday to the Houston Chronicle, saying “This is the United States. Speak English.” 

But he later posted an apology to Facebook, saying he mistakenly thought an English translation for Hidalgo’s remarks was not provided.

“I apologize to Judge Hidalgo, the citizens of my County, and most importantly the entire Hispanic community for hastily acting out with transgression on social media,” Tice wrote. “I recognize how my response could have been interpreted in a derogatory manner and for that I am sorry. I immediately regretted my choice of words. I’m not proud of my behavior, that is not the example I wish to lead by. I can only hope, in time, that my actions can be forgiven.”

In a response, Kiran Khalid, Hidalgo’s director of communications, noted that a third of the county’s 4.5 million residents are Spanish speakers.

“The vast majority of the public relies on local news for information in a time of crisis,” Khalid said, according to the Chronicle. “Judge Hidalgo represents all of Harris County and given the county’s composition and her bilingual skills, she will continue to communicate as broadly as possible especially when public safety is at stake.”

Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia issued a statement Tuesday saying Tice’s remarks did not represent the commissioners’ or the county’s opinion.

“The statements he made are his and are not made on my behalf, or on behalf of the Court,” Sylvia said, according to the Chronicle. “I am currently in the process of reaching out to Judge Hidalgo and have left a message with her office.”