Brownsville city leaders approved a new ordinance that establishes new rules for businesses serving alcohol in an area that police have dubbed as “problematic.”

The Brownsville Midtown Entertainment Ordinance will go into effect in an area known as the city’s bar district.

“With everything that's going on, the whole plaza is being labeled as bad and I don't feel like that's fair,” Brewskies Pub & Eatery Co-owner Joel Ruiz Jr. said. 

The bar is located on Pablo Kisel Boulevard, and the Brownsville Police Department said a series of fights — some of them caught on video and shared on social media — led to an increase in patrols in the area.

In the most recent incident, three men were hospitalized after they were stabbed by one man at the 3300 block of Pablo Kisel Boulevard on Dec. 15.

The ordinance approved on Tuesday will add more regulations to businesses that serve alcohol between midnight and 2 a.m.   

Commissioners are still finalizing details, but businesses are being required to use electronic ID readers and hire security to keep minors out.

The ordinance also requires adequate lighting and security cameras with video stored for at least 14 days.

“We felt it was necessary to allow the police department to regulate this at a higher level,” Brownsville Mayor John Cowen said.

Cowen said that while the state already regulates some of these rules, the ordinance would allow officers to enforce and issue fines

“At the city, we are pro-business. We want them to be successful, and we believe this ordinance allows them to be successful,” Cowen said. “We want to create a safe environment for everyone so we feel this type of regulation would encourage more people to go out."

According to a spokesperson with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, inspectors regularly conducts operations to identify establishments who violate state laws, which include selling alcohol to minors.

Ruiz said that’s a common issue in the area, but the TABC patrols are not enough.

“That's why I’m pleading for the chief of police to help us out in the situation and start doing random checks, and I petitioned for higher fines,” Ruiz said.

City leaders will be speaking with bar owners and members of the community on the final regulations. The city is asking the community to attend a second reading of the ordinance set for Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. 

The ordinance will go into effect after that reading.