Doing a job that American politicians and reporters won’t do, Elon Musk visited Eagle Pass, Texas, at the border yesterday, livestreaming the event on his personal social media outlet X.
Musk led by declaring himself, as an immigrant, to be “extremely pro immigrant,” but insisting that immigration laws should be enforced. He was joined by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), who represents the district that includes Eagle Pass. The two proceeded to talk with various local officials about the border crisis.
First up was Sheriff Randy Brown, sheriff of Medina County, about 100 miles from Eagle Pass. Brown discussed, in particular, how those migrants traveling by train have learned how to force trains to stop to enable them to dismount where they please.
Gonzales described how the area surrounding Eagle Pass had seen 11,000 illegals cross the border every day during the previous week. He added that the crisis is spreading across the border and in cities, such as New York, far removed from the border. Overall, an undetermined number of persons — perhaps 2.6 million — have in the past couple of years entered the U.S., been encountered and processed and then released. In addition, an undetermined number of “got-aways” enter as well, totalling, according to Musk, up to four or five million.
Gonzales also pointed out that the illegals crossing into the United States hail not just from Mexico and Central America. As aicfoundation.com readers know, they come from all over the world, making our border with Mexico an “open border for the earth.”
Up next was Anthony Zertuche, sheriff of Lasalle County, who explained that his staff of 16 has to patrol 1,500 square miles, without help from the Border Patrol, which has been relegated to processing migrants at hot spots like Eagle Pass.
Musk admitted that he found surprising that, among migrants encountered, “there is almost no repatriation. Once somebody gets in, they’re in.” Gonzales agreed, saying that unlike all previous administrations, Biden has not returned non-qualifying asylees to their countries of origin, in spite of most of those countries expressing willingness to accept them. He says the number coming in in the Del Rio sector (about 2,500 per day) that are being sent back is “literally zero.”
To discuss the results that such a policy has on a small town, the two then spoke to the mayor of Eagle Pass, Rolando Salinas Jr. Salinas said his town of 28,000 has in the past 10 days seen 18,000 illegals enter. The single local hospital in Eagle Pass has been overwhelmed by the influx, making it impossible for citizens to obtain medical care.
Musk then brought up the nature of many of the new arrivals, pointing out that many sport gang tattoos. Gonzales said that the Border Patrol has no way of checking the background of migrants from countries with no formal diplomatic relations, such as Venezuela. One recent “asylum seeker” had multiple teardrops (signifying serial murders) tattooed to his face, but the individual denied any previous arrests and no background data was available to contradict him.
Such is what Joe Biden has brought to America.
For more on Musk’s border visit, see his X posting.