EAGLE PASS, TX — This week, Meaghan Mobbs, Director of the Center for American Safety and Security at Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), joined the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) for a tour of the U.S. southern border spanning from Del Rio to Eagle Pass—a region known as the epicenter of the migrant crisis. The tour also extended into the Mexican side of the border.
Throughout the tour, Mobbs spoke with both locals and border patrol agents in the region on the devastating impacts of an insecure border, which has led to a growing number of illegal and often perilous migrant crossings. One Texas “Operation Lone Star” agent testified to the rescue operations he conducts and the frequent exploitation of migrant women and children that occurs as a result of encouraging them to seek asylum through illegal pathways.
Meaghan also examined and compared the border wall structures installed during the Bush, Trump, and Biden administrations. In a video shared exclusively with IWF, Mobbs highlighted the fact that the Biden-era fence is extraordinarily flimsy and has already been repaired multiple times. By comparison, she noted, the Trump-era fence—which ceased construction after President Biden took office—is stronger in size, density, and the inability to penetrate.
Watch Mobbs’ video documentation HERE.
Mobbs’s border tour extended into Mexico, where she witnessed migrant families waiting and hoping to be picked up by U.S. Border Patrol agents. Illegal migrants are allegedly encouraged to locate U.S. Border Patrol agents, rather than Operation Lone Star agents, who are now primarily patrolling the region.
“Having just returned from spending a week at portions of our southern border I can unequivocally say our border is wide open, and our current policies are a welcome mat for danger. There are multiple cases of individuals on terrorist watch lists who have been unknowingly released into our communities as our border patrol agents are unable to conduct traditional counterterrorism operations or extensive screenings due to the overwhelming number of migrants who must be processed. This does not even take into account the estimated two million ‘got-aways’ who are entirely unknown to the Department of Homeland Security. Outside of the clear and present threat this poses to our country, American communities are suffering as resources meant for citizens are drained by non-citizens. Compassion shouldn’t come at the cost of our citizens’ well-being. We need to prioritize safety and security, not cartels and chaos,” said Mobbs.
The porous nature of the U.S. southern border is a complex issue that affects both Americans and migrants, particularly vulnerable women and children. Not infrequently, vehicles full of illegal aliens will attempt to evade law enforcement. These are oftentimes aliens with nefarious intentions and criminal backgrounds. They have adopted a “bail out” tactic by which they ditch their vehicles and run into school zones using both the school and the community as shields. As a result, American schoolchildren are subjected to lockdowns when such “bailouts” occur.
Independent Women’s Forum, as the nation’s most impactful policy organization for women, will continue to call attention to the importance of maintaining law and order to ensure that the United States remains a land of opportunity.
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