McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — As Vice President J.D. Vance visited the South Texas border town of Eagle Pass urging stricter border security, a grassroots organization displayed shoes found on the Rio Grande, which they say represents migrants desperate to cross the border.
Fifty shoes, which the Border Vigil of Eagle Pass organization says were retrieved from the banks of the international river with Mexico, were put on display in front of a prominent Eagle Pass city sign.
“We urge Vice President Vance to recognize that the true crisis at the border is not one of security, but of humanity,” said Border Vigil founder Amerika Garcia Grewal. “When given a safe and legal pathway to asylum, the number of border crossings decreases. It’s time for our leaders to stop perpetuating a narrative of fear and instead work towards compassionate solutions.”
The shoes of migrant women and children were placed in a spiral design by the Eagle Pass welcome sign, a few miles from a border park where Vance visited Wednesday.
Garcia Grewal says the border town, population 28,000, needs more resources and funding, and she disagrees with efforts to send more military and National Guard troops to the region, as well as federal and state funds spent on border infrastructure.
“Eagle Pass is not a foreign country; we are a community deserving of care and compassion. It’s time for our leaders to stop neglecting our needs and to start working towards a more just and humane solution,” she said.
The State of Texas has spent over $12 billion on Operation Lone Star — the state funded border security initiative — since 2021.
This week, the Pentagon announced thousands more military troops will be sent to the southern border. This includes a Stryker brigade combat team and a general support aviation battalion “to bolster military support in securing the U.S. – Mexico border,” according to the Department of Defense.
Each Stryker brigade combat team is a mechanized infantry force of approximately 4,400 soldiers, and the Army’s nine SBCTs — seven active-duty and two National Guard — are known for their rapid deployment and versatility, Defense officials say. The brigade is capable of transport via C-130 Hercules aircraft within 96 hours.
The general support aviation battalion includes about 650 troops, UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
It is unclear exactly where and how many of the troops will be deployed along the border.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@Borderreport.com.
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