An emergency meeting, a vote, and no protests sounds like the opposite of what's been happening lately at Socorro City Council meetings. On Monday night, the council voted to annex land including some property in San Elizario.

KFOX 14 News asked a Socorro city spokesperson why police had blocked the media from talking to annexation supporters Jesse Gandara Jr. and Willie Madrid.

"I'm really through. You're pushing the envelope," Socorro spokesperson David Garcia said as he took off his microphone and ended the interview.

Garcia says Socorro is just making use of their legal right to annex.

"We're following the process. If someone wants to be contentious about our process, it's their burden of proof, not ours," Garcia said.

On Monday night, there were few protestors at the council meeting, probably because few people knew of its weekend posting found only online. Garcia, however, believes nearby entities are on board with the annexation.

"We negotiated with Clint and found we needed to remove a piece of property from the plan. We negotiated with Horizon and found out we needed to move another piece of property from the plan. We negotiated with El Paso, moved a third piece of property from the plan. We are not the belligerent activists that you think we are down here," Garcia said.

After the annexation was voted in, Gandara said, proudly, "You don't come into our home, you don't come into Socorro and attempt to tell us to do differently from what we plan."

A judge has yet to decide if Gandara and fellow council members legally hold office. If they don't, the land grab plan is for nothing. But just in case, the council is moving forward.

"Here in Socorro we're No. 1. Here in Socorro, we are champions," said Gandara.

Sound off the podium is likely to be all the community will get by way of explanation.

Garcia said the embattled council doesn't appreciate KFOX 14 News asking hard questions.

"The council members don't want to talk to KFOX 14, and now I'll say I don't want to talk to them, either," said Garcia.

The judge will decide April 25 whether Socorro's council is legit. In the meantime, community leaders in San Elizario are far from on board and have lawyered up to get incorporated before Socorro can make its move.

His successor, the Rev. Oscar Cantu, is preparing to lead the Las Cruces diocese into the future.

"As a child, I wanted to be the first Mexican-American to play in the NBA. How about that?" Cantu said.

That is not the typical childhood aspirations you'd expect from the next Las Cruces bishop, but then again,Cantu didn't have dreams of becoming one.

"I had no desire to be a priest. To be honest, as a kid, I didn't like going to church," Cantu said.

He is the son of a Mexican machinist who eventually moved to east Texas.

"The church became our extended family, because they had the same values that we shared at home," Cantu said.

He served as an auxiliary bishop in San Antonio for almost five years. He will be one the youngest bishops in the nation. He replaces Ramirez, the first bishop of Las Cruces, who was instated in 1982.

"I kind of followed him, along with the fact he was one of the few Hispanic bishops at that time," Cantu said.

The Las Cruces diocese covers most of southern New Mexico.

"I've got a new set of tires on my car and I'm ready to hit the road to hit all the parishes," Cantu said.

One of his goals: education.

"I want to strengthen the Catholic schools we do have and perhaps look toward the future. Perhaps we can build new schools in different communities," Cantu said. 

He said he gets his drive from his father.

"He had big hands for a small man. He would show us his hands and tell us how hard he had to work . I didn't want you to go through the difficulties he's gone through in life. He said stay in school and that it was going to open opportunities for us," said Cantu.

Cantu will be installed as bishop of the Las Cruces diocese Thursday at Las Cruces Convention Center at 2 p.m.

If you have a story that you feel deserves media attention, please contact Geoff Tyler at Geoff.Tyler@kfoxtv.com.