Eagle Pass Takes Center Stage as Texas Immigration Battle Intensifies, Reports Reuters

By Ted Hesson

EAGLE PASS, Texas – Downtown Eagle Pass, Texas, appears tranquil as Laurel Cadena strolls with her 3-week-old daughter in a stroller, a sharp contrast to the earlier chaos of competing protests over U.S.-Mexico border policies that filled the streets with shouting and chanting.

Cadena, a 22-year-old college student and U.S. citizen, has frequented the shopping area since childhood. Many shoppers legally cross over from Piedras Negras, the Mexican city situated across the Rio Grande, to purchase a wide array of items, from clothing to flowers and even replicas of the Eiffel Tower.

"It’s affordable. You can get scissors for 99 cents," she remarked. "I’m not going to Walmart if I can shop downtown."

However, over the past year, Eagle Pass has drawn a different crowd: thousands of migrants attempting to cross the river illegally, alongside Texas National Guard troops deployed to deter them. This has triggered a political and legal standoff between Texas’ Republican Governor Greg Abbott and President Biden’s Democratic administration.

Despite a long-standing cross-border relationship, the 28,000-resident city has become a focal point in a contentious political discourse as the November 5 presidential elections approach.

Recently, hundreds of individuals protesting against illegal immigration traveled to a ranch near Eagle Pass to demonstrate their support for former President Donald Trump, a staunch critic of lax immigration policies and the leading Republican candidate for the upcoming elections. Some demonstrators paraded through downtown in pickup trucks adorned with pro-Trump and far-right slogans. Interestingly, Biden won Maverick County, where Eagle Pass is located, in the 2020 election, despite losing the overall state to Trump.

Cadena believes both political parties should find collaborative solutions to assist migrants, condemning the use of razor wire along the Rio Grande as "extreme."

Many residents express sympathy for the migrants but have grown frustrated with the situation. Last year, U.S. border officials twice closed one of Eagle Pass’ two bridges to Mexico, reallocating personnel to manage the surge in crossings.

The bridge closures resulted in extended wait times at the border and significant losses for local businesses, according to Margie Montoya, interim executive director of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce.

"We depend on the people coming in from Mexico," she said.

A Crucial Park

A short distance from Main Street, the state of Texas has taken control of Shelby Park, a 47-acre area by the Rio Grande, constructing a barrier with shipping containers and concertina wire to mitigate illegal crossings. Texas troops are now patrolling the border, assuming a role that has traditionally belonged to federal authorities.

While some locals support Texas’ actions, the city is forced to reconsider major events scheduled for the park, including a festival in March and a solar eclipse viewing in April, which could attract around 50,000 visitors, Montoya noted. Additionally, local children’s baseball leagues may need to find alternative venues for their games.

Conversely, some businesses are thriving due to the increased presence of Texas troops and law enforcement, including hotels and restaurants.

Despite the charged political environment, the number of migrants attempting to cross the border had decreased in January, especially in Eagle Pass and nearby areas. This reduction is largely attributed to a decline in Venezuelan migrants following efforts by U.S. and Mexican authorities to disrupt the smuggling networks facilitating their migration, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official.

A spokesperson for Mexico’s migration agency confirmed a significant decrease in migrant arrivals from December to the present amidst heightened enforcement measures.

After an agreement in mid-December between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and U.S. authorities to strengthen migration control, Mexican officials intensified efforts to prevent migrants from riding atop trains and relocated migrants in northern Mexico to the southern part of the country via airplane and bus.

On the Mexican side of the border, National Guard troops monitored the area across from the concertina wire barricades on the U.S. side.

Migrants at a nearby shelter reported a drop in arrivals in January, with some aiming to enter the U.S. through the CBP One app, a program by the Biden administration that offers 1,450 daily slots for migrants seeking legal entry.

Honduran migrant Ever Moises Garcia, 26, explained that he made the journey north because he couldn’t support his two young children. After being deported four times by Mexican authorities, he now resides in Piedras Negras, where he has awaited a CBP One appointment for nearly two months.

He stated that while he would consider crossing illegally, the risks involved are too great.

"There have been many, many immigrants who have crossed," he said, "and they send them back to their country."