Trump’s strong presence maintained border order: Journalist

Former President Trump’s Influence on Immigration

Former President Donald J. Trump was famous for his tough stance on illegal immigration. His reputation as an enforcer seems to have had an impact even south of the Rio Grande.

“Trump’s tough-on-the-border rhetoric makes its way down to Mexico and Central America, and it drives people’s decisions. They know it’s going to be a less welcoming environment on the border,” said Texan writer Henry Chappell.

Mr. Chappell shared his insights during a conversation with Helen Andrews, a senior editor at The American Conservative. In his report titled “A Texas Border Tour,” published by the magazine in June, he explored the crisis zone.

The Impact of Biden’s Presidency

Ms. Andrews asked Mr. Chappell about the significant increase in border crossings since President Joe Biden took office. What caused this drastic change?

“Is it vibes, or is it the actual things they’re doing?” she asked.

“I think both, but the vibes are very, very important,” Mr. Chappell answered, pointing out that many potential migrants receive information from family members already in the United States.

According to Mr. Chappell, the Biden administration has welcomed immigration activists with ideological views into its upper ranks.

“They were probably radicalized through battling the Trump administration for four years prior to that,” he said.

No Bars on the Border

Mr. Chappell described scenes that challenge common misconceptions about illegal immigrants.

“They have all the technology at their disposal we have,” he said.

“One of the rangers told me that the most common request he gets from migrants who approach him out of the brush, rather boldly at times, is to charge their cell phones,” Mr. Chappell continued.

Ms. Andrews and Mr. Chappell also discussed the influence and attitude of the cartels, which engage in drug and human smuggling across the porous border.

“The cartels are a business, okay? They want as little attention from law enforcement as they can manage,” he said.

In the harsh borderland, the cartels make calculated decisions.

“The brush guides keep a very strict schedule… If there are problems, they’re not going to take a chance. They just leave them [migrants],” Mr. Chappell said.

When asked about conservative misconceptions regarding the border, he noted that the South Texas counties most affected by the open border are predominantly Hispanic.

“It’s not a bunch of gringos down there complaining,” he said.

Ms. Andrews inquired about the future of the Republican Party among Hispanic voters at the border, considering that Mr. Trump gained support from that constituency in 2020.

“I don’t think it’s going to be turned upside down. But yes, yes I do. I think a lot of people are frustrated,” Mr. Chappell said.

An Upward Trend

Recent Border Patrol statistics on southwest border land encounters show a general upward trend in the last few years. These numbers do not include border crossers who never make contact with authorities.

Part of this influx includes a surge in illegal border crossers from China and Russia, which has raised concerns among House Republicans like Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas).

“I have heard directly from sheriffs in my district that they apprehended multiple individuals from the PRC [People’s Republic of China] who were deemed ‘high value targets’ and were taken into custody by the FBI,” Mr. Pfluger said in June.

“The PRC and our foreign adversaries are expanding their spheres of influence in Latin America—essentially in our backyard,” he added.

The mass movement of immigrants, both legal and illegal, into the United States is part of a global trend seen across the Western world, sometimes even when conservative leaders are in power.

For example, under the rule of Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, migration into the United Kingdom reached a new record in 2022.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican who has been mentioned as a potential 2024 presidential contender, has faced criticism from journalist Michael Yon.

“Texas[‘] border is [wide] open. Abbott is a WEF [World Economic Forum] stooge,” Mr. Yon wrote on Twitter in a post detailing the Colony Ridge development north of Houston that houses tens of thousands of illegal aliens.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Mr. Abbott for comment.

The Texas governor attended the annual WEF meeting in Davos in January 2016 and again in January 2020.

Mr. Chappell concluded by saying: