El Paso police are reviewing videos that appear to show people in white, pointed robes resembling Ku Klux Klan attire at a Halloween gathering, with some of them allegedly shouting racial slurs while walking through a neighborhood. Police Chief Peter Pacillas said investigators are working to determine whether any laws were broken.
Photos and videos of the group spread on social media after being shared by the local Instagram page FitFam El Paso, as reported by The Nerd Stash. In one clip, the group can allegedly be heard chanting slurs aimed at Black people. Police said those involved reportedly include young people. However, their identities and ages have not been publicly confirmed.
Pacillas said free expression has limits when it crosses into conduct that threatens public order or the safety of others. Investigators are reviewing whether the group committed any offenses, including possible disorderly conduct, and police have asked anyone with information about the El Paso footage to contact the department. He did not say how many people were involved.
El Paso police say they’re aware of the video and want to hear from anyone who knows more
The El Paso Police Department addressed the footage on X, saying it was aware of a post showing people “dressed in attire resembling a racial hate group,” and shared a statement from Pacillas. The department has not announced any arrests or citations, and it has not said how long its review is expected to take.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat who represents El Paso, called the reports deeply disturbing and unacceptable. In a statement on Facebook, she said the KKK represents a shameful history of racial terror and violence against Black Americans and other communities of color. “Treating that history as a costume is not a joke,” Escobar said.
Escobar added that no one in the community should fear being targeted because of their race or appearance. Online reactions were largely critical, as many residents said the robes were neither edgy nor funny. Several commenters told the young people that not everything is a joke, pointing to the pain and suffering tied to that imagery.
A smaller group of commenters raised constitutional arguments. However, even those commenters mostly stressed that they did not approve of what the group did, with one Facebook user saying the First Amendment protects the conduct while making clear they did not find it funny or right.
Under Texas law, disorderly conduct can include using abusive or vulgar language in a public place in a way that tends to provoke an immediate breach of the peace, and it is typically charged as a Class C misdemeanor. Police have not said which specific offenses, if any, they are considering beyond disorderly conduct.
The footage has also reignited debate over where Halloween costumes cross a line, a question that came up when a commentator said Target’s Halloween costume was racist. Many El Paso residents said they were embarrassed by the message the robes sent about their city, as the clips continued to circulate online.
The department has said investigators are reviewing the videos and reports it has received to determine whether the group’s conduct crossed from offensive expression into unlawful behavior. Police have not said exactly where in El Paso the gathering took place or whether anyone has come forward with information.
Investigators could decide whether charges are warranted once their review is complete, though police have not said whether anyone in the El Paso footage has been identified.
Published: Oct 29, 2026 06:45 am