Editor’s Note: Reporter Madison Edwards shares a first-person account of his visit to Eagle Pass, Texas, where he and photojournalist Norm Cottrill observed the Louisiana National Guard at work at the Texas-Mexico border.
EAGLE PASS, Texas – My time in Eagle Pass, Texas, was spent touring the areas south of Shelby Park, where the Louisiana National Guard’s Second Squadron 108th Cavalry Regiment patrolled the banks of the Rio Grande.
As dawn breaks over the border city, the National Guard rises ready to interdict illegal entry into the United States. The LANG is reinforcing the Texas National Guard during Operation Lone Star. They are detecting and denying entry to illegal immigrants trying to cross the border at Shelby Park.
Capt. Zachary Neely is the unit commander of the Louisiana task force on the border. He’s noticed a decrease in border crossings since his unit’s arrival in mid-March.
“Being here as a member of the Louisiana National Guard is making an impact along the border,” Neely said. “Seeing the numbers of illegal migrant crossings is decreasing shows that our presence here is successful.”
The mission has been akin to similar scenarios the LANG has trained for, including all hazard events like hurricanes and disaster relief. Neely says this is a different type of mission than he has encountered in the past due to there being a largely humanitarian issue.
On Jan. 10, Texas state law enforcement took control of Shelby Park under emergency declarations. They have turned it into a fortress.
Anti-climb barrier panels, Concerntina wire, and razor wire dot the Rio Grande along the border of Shelby Park. Shipping containers provide a shield a quarter-mile long.
Texas National Guard engineers have installed over 100 miles of Concertina wire along the riverbanks. This is the most aggressive defense of Texas’s border, but not the first time a barrier has been placed.
The border fence put up during the George Bush administration is about a quarter-mile away from where the barricades are now. It’s 20 feet high and miles long. However, since it is so far away from the banks of the Rio Grande, the Army Corps of Engineers along with the Texas Military Department engineers used Shelby Park and the area directly south to construct a forward operating base directly where the brush meets the river.
Though it seems impenetrable, migrants continue to cut holes in the fence to cross, leaving shredded clothing along the wire in an attempt to safely climb over. We shortly encountered a group of migrants who has crossed the river not 10 minutes into our time in Shelby Park.
There were two males, a female and a young child who looked as if she was eight years old. Her pink hoody a stark contrast to the dark water, bright wire, and camouflaged uniforms that were guarding her entry into the United States.
One man attempted to communicate with us in Spanish, saying he was from Cuba. The other man said he was from the Dominican Republic. What brought them to Eagle Pass, we never found out as they moved along the banks to an area where we couldn’t see them. The entire time three LANG troops were tracking their movements telling them to go back, do not enter, and return to Mexico.
What I found most interesting were the thousands of articles of clothing that were left behind. Single shoes, diapers, bras, and jackets were piled up along the roads we were travelling. Shredded shirts and jeans littered the C-wire.
Troops told me they’ve seen people crossing the Rio Grande but not attempting to enter the U.S. They allegedly collect clothing that is still in good shape to sell to migrants crossing the river in order to have a dry change of clothes on the other side.
Capt. Neely says one of the biggest challenges has been the humanitarian aspect of this border crisis.
“I think the largest challenge that we’re running into is the human aspect of this mission. Being from Louisiana, we’re used to all hazards events like hurricanes,” Neely remarked. “All our soldiers are used to supporting for these emergency events, but coming down here, not only is it a state emergency event, but it’s a humanitarian crisis as well. Thankfully, Texas has provided behavioral health resources for the troops to help them deal with the mental strain. The troops are also allowed to wind down on their off days, making trips to local stores, or even playing golf at the course nearby.”
My videographer and I returned to Shelby Park late at night to film a live shot for our 10 p.m. newscast. We were met with a shocking and heart wrenching sight just 15 minutes after we ended our broadcast and were gathering more footage.
A group of 13 to 14 migrants was trapped behind the anti-climbing barricades with seven or eight troops armed with rifles denying their entry. Three of them were young children, one a baby.
The children were being carried, lifted over the C-wire to hold onto the barricades. Their hands reached through the holes in the fence, while their eyes filled with tears. The adults in the group were crying and wiping their noses after hearing only, “Go back, do not enter, no entrada.”
This was the humanitarian aspect Neely was speaking about. Seeing those children among the wire with nowhere to go but back across the cold, dark river struck me in a divided way.
These people were attempting to enter illegally, but I couldn’t help but wonder what brought them to the border in the first place. I would never find out what happened to the migrants since due to safety concerns with a group that large and the possibility of an uptick in crossings during the night, we were ushered out of the area and had to exit the park.
According to a memo from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, illegal immigration is down 72% in Texas as of March. The efforts of the LANG have had a direct impact on the decrease of border crossings. Neely says he’s noticed the direct impact his unit has had.
“We’re proud that we were selected to come out here,” Neely said. “We know Louisiana sent the finest when it comes to completing this mission.”
The second of three rotations of troops arrived in late April. Neely is proud of the first group of soldiers who he thinks have accomplished their role in Operation Lone Star.
“Regardless of the mission set or the adjustments that had to be made, these soldiers were flexible and welcomed any challenge given to them,” said Neely. “Rotation 1 did a great job since day one, but I’m excited to see what rotation 2 does because they won’t have the challenge of being the first ones in the rotation.”