The Republican Governors showing up in support of what appears to be a publicity stunt on the part of Greg Abbott as election time nears.
Texas is continuing to erect razor wire across a 29-mile stretch of the riverbank in Eagle Pass, despite opposition from the Biden administration and a January U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing federal officials to cut down the wire. The White House said after the ruling that the razor wire makes it dangerous for federal border agents to do their jobs, including to give aid to migrants.
USA Today is reporting that even after the high court ruling, Texas has barred U.S. Border Patrol from entering Shelby Park, a city-owned park near the Rio Grande where migrants had been entering by the thousands in recent years. The state continues to put up additional razor wire.
But how much is staged? Locals are saying that it’s all staged and half a mile from the Texas National Guard and razor wire photo ops, there is plenty of unguarded open gates through which immigrants come.
Meanwhile, migrants have continued making the treacherous crossings, but the park itself has seen a drop in crossings since December. Last summer, USA TODAY reported that razor wire was causing serious injuries – sometimes to children – including bruises, broken ankles and deep gashes that needed medical staples to close.
Newsweek reports that the Eagle Pass Community is holding rallies to protest Abbott using their town for political theater
Community Leader Jessie Fuentes, one of the speakers, said to persons coming as part of the MAGA Truck Convoy; “Anyone seeking to inform themselves and gain knowledge about the situation at the border is welcome into our community as long as you embrace our cultural diversity. This is our community; this is our house. Don’t come here to preach hate. Respect and honor thy neighbor, and act accordingly.”
Hitting out at Abbott, who instructed the state’s national guard to place razor wire along the Texas-Mexico border, Fuentes added: “As a longtime resident… I’ve never been so appalled at a leader as our governor and what he’s doing and how he’s using our particular community for political theater.” Fuentes also criticized Texan authorities for taking over the nearby Shelby Park from which they then blocked access to federal agents, sparking controversy.