Texas border towns are taking drastic measures to arm themselves amidst an intensifying border crisis and increasing safety concerns.
At a Glance
- A bipartisan deal aims to curb migrant influx at the U.S.-Mexico border and provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
- The deal has caused a split among Texas lawmakers, not strictly along party lines.
- Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez oppose the proposal.
- Residents of Eagle Pass, Texas, initially supported Governor Greg Abbott’s plan for tougher border security but now regret the operation’s consequences.
Communities Take Matters into Their Own Hands
Residents of Texas border towns, particularly Eagle Pass, are increasingly arming themselves due to escalating illegal border crossings and concerns about safety and property protection. This grassroots movement highlights the growing dissatisfaction with current border control measures and the perceived inadequacies of local law enforcement. Residents feel compelled to defend their homes and families as the border crisis shows no signs of abating.
Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, which aimed to utilize the Texas National Guard and state troopers to fortify the border with concertina wire and other barriers, initially received local support. However, the operation’s consequences — property damage, business disruptions, and reports of migrant mistreatment — have led to widespread regret among border town residents.
Lawmakers Divided Over Border Security Deal
In response to the border crisis, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has negotiated a $118 billion deal to curb migrant influx, provide aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, and include provisions like asylum screening and expanded detention. However, the deal has caused a split among Texas lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Colin Allred supports the deal as a step toward comprehensive immigration reform, while Sen. Ted Cruz and Democratic state Sen. Roland Gutierrez oppose it for different reasons.
Cruz criticizes the deal for being too lenient and not aligning with stricter Republican measures. On social media, he wrote, “It would codify Biden’s open borders into perpetuity. Terrible for Texas, but DC Dems love it.”
Impact on Eagle Pass and its Residents
Eagle Pass has felt the brunt of the border crisis and the consequences of Operation Lone Star. The presence of concertina wire, buoys, and increased military presence has turned the community into what some locals describe as a “war zone.” The sentiment among residents is one of disappointment and frustration with the ineffective measures that have done little to curb illegal crossings.
“It looks like a war zone in a third-world country,” said real estate agent and Eagle Pass resident Carlos Herrera. “They’ve turned Eagle Pass into a war zone,” echoed Jessie Fuentes, the owner of a local kayak company.
That sentiment is echoed by others, including César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández, an immigration attorney and law professor at Ohio State University. He noted, “It’s become common for the federal government to have a political standoff with states over immigration policy, but what we’re seeing in Eagle Pass is out of the ordinary.”
