Mary Rommer
Over 200 citizens have risen to a call to arms and are preparing to make their way to the Mexico-United States border in anticipation of the arrival of a Mexican caravan, marching to enter America illegally. Moving at a pace of twenty to thirty miles a day and currently estimated to contain up to 7,000 migrants, the caravan is expected to reach the United States border within the month of November. The armed United States citizens making their way south, many of which are members of militias, plan to stay at the border for a ninety-day period to aid the military troops, already in place at the border, in patrolling for any signs of a breach along the 2,000 miles of border land. Many citizens supportive of the cause, but unable to leave their lives and head to the Mexican border have made donations to aid the militias in their endeavors.
One militia present at the border, known as the Texas Minutemen, consists of 100 volunteers all armed and trained with unofficial, but military like techniques. In possession of advanced technologies, they intend to camouflage amongst spots in the border and use thermal sensing drones and night vision goggles to sense people attempting to sneak through the barrier. Another militia known as the Texas Border Volunteers, which consists of 300 volunteers, has at its disposal techniques which include ATV’s, spotlights, and trained dogs to spot and detain illegal aliens. The Texas Border Volunteers have been sought out by ranchers and landowners, fearful of damage to property and crops by illegal aliens avoiding checkpoints, to patrol their property when border patrol is unable to cover the entire length of the border. The Texas Borders Volunteers claim their ability to have 100 volunteers in one location within less than eight hours if necessary.
Conversely, some ranchers and property owners refuse to let the militias and volunteer groups on their properties but will allow military and border officials to patrol their land, having expressed fears that the women and children in the caravan will face injury or death at the hands of potentially violent and trigger-happy militia members. These same citizens have stated that illegal aliens often abuse their property whilst marching through their land and they do worry this traffic and damage will increase as the caravan influx begins. Some farmers in close proximity to the border can see common fording locations of the Rio Grande from inside their homes. In such places nearly 100 illegal aliens cross through per day. This number is expected to drastically increase as the caravan arrives, yet many owners of border land property do not wish to cause additional violence they believe the militias like to create. In response the militias have made clear their intentions to confer with law enforcement officers in the case of detecting illegal entry. Caution will be taken when possible to detain and contact border patrol to collect the illegal aliens. Their stated aim is to prevent entry, not end lives.
