This weekend, fifteen Republican governors and a conservative trucker convoy named “God’s Army” are converging on the southern border for distinct events highlighting the illegal immigration crisis.
Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) is set to host leaders from 14 other red states in McAllen, Texas, focusing on a briefing about the state’s initiatives to enhance border security and conducting a press conference criticizing the impact of “President Joe Biden’s reckless open border policies.”
Simultaneously, an online initiative named Take Our Border Back has organized a cross-country caravan addressing the frustration over more than 9 million individuals observed or encountered while illegally entering the country since 2021. The caravan will travel to several spots on the southern border, with final rallies in Arizona, California, and Texas on Saturday.
The Take Our Border Back leadership team encourages prayer for the nation and elected officials, emphasizing a peaceful convoy as a platform for respectful conversations about the country’s future. Organizers, including Kim Yeater, aim for a turnout of 700,000 protesters, though current numbers fall short of this goal.
Departing from Virginia Beach, Virginia, the caravan plans stops in Jacksonville, Florida, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, before heading to Dripping Springs, Texas, for a Thursday evening pep rally. Subsequent routes include Central Texas, Yuma, Arizona, and Quemado and Eagle Pass, Texas, with rallies scheduled in these locations.
Notable figures such as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and rock ‘n’ roll performer Ted Nugent led the Dripping Springs pep rally on Thursday evening, expressing concerns about the federal government’s role in what they view as sanctioning a foreign invasion across the border.
Abbott’s event in southeast Texas, one week after the state’s confrontation with the Biden administration at the border, underlines the state’s commitment to defend its border. In a recent move, the state seized city land in Eagle Pass, Texas, evicting federal Border Patrol agents who officials claimed were facilitating the entry and arrest of illegal immigrants.
The participating governors in Abbott’s event include Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR), Brian Kemp (R-GA), Brad Little (R-ID), Eric Holcomb (R-IN), Kim Reynolds (R-IA), Jeff Landry (R-LA), Tate Reeves (R-MS), Mike Parson (R-MO), Greg Gianforte (R-MT), Jim Pollen (R-NE), Chris Sununu (R-NH), Kristi Noem (R-SD), Bill Lee (R-TN), and Spencer Cox (R-UT).