(AUSTIN) – Border security advocates spoke to hundreds of attendees in front of the State Capitol in Austin on Saturday, calling on Texas lawmakers to take bold action to address the humanitarian issues at the southern border.
The rally was titled “How Many More?” and highlighted the issues accompanying the record levels of unlawful migration that have occurred over the last few years and the damage it has caused to Texas communities and beyond.
“The failure of our current border policies makes every American complicit in the spread of human misery,” the promotional website said. “We will no longer accept the erosion of America or its values by allowing the humanitarian crisis at our southern border to continue.”
The group asked, “How many more Texas communities must see their hospitals and schools overrun by non-citizens? How many more Americans must die from Fentanyl poisoning? How many more illegal immigrants must be raped, drowned, murdered, and see their children sold into slavery?”
Attendees at the rally hold “stolen lives” banners | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
Prior to the event, screens displayed a content warning, advising attendees that mature and graphic content would be presented during the event’s programming.
Mark Meckler, the president of the Convention of States, welcomed guests, saying, “We have an existential crisis at our southern border. … It’s important to show people what’s happening.”
“We are here to say one thing to our government … we are not going to take it anymore,” Meckler said to a cheering crowd. “We’re going to have to stand in unison.”
“We have HB20 being considered, which will establish a Texas Border Unit,” Meckler noted, adding that they were requesting Gov. Greg Abbott designate the cartels as terrorist organizations and formally declare an invasion at the southern border.
Following an invocation, musician Ted Nugent opened the event by playing a “fire breathing” rendition of the national anthem before telling the crowd, “There is no America without secure borders. There is no Texas without secure borders.”
Ted Nugent performing at the event | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
“I don’t process invaders, I repel invaders. So let’s get this legislation so that Texas can be a shining light for America,” he said in reference to House Bill 20.
“I give a damn about this sacred experiment of self-government,” he said. “I’m an American. I want my nation secured.”
In a recorded video, Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, the president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said, “We must bring an end to all illegal immigration.”
Rodriguez urged politicians and citizens to recognize that unlawful migrants are not pawns to be exploited in some political plan but people who are being victimized in a humanitarian crisis.
“If we get this immigration thing right, I believe we are going to see something beautiful in this nation,” he added.
After a warning was given for graphic content, Dr. Mike Vickers, the founder of the Texas Border Volunteers, presented dozens of images of the effects of unmitigated unlawful migration, including many dead bodies in various stages of decomposition.
He recounted the hundreds of dead bodies found on land near the border while volunteering and noted the number of bodies they’ve found had greatly increased since 2020.
An image of a decaying body is shown on the screen | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
“It’s a full-scale invasion,” he said. “Joe Biden is responsible for more deaths at the southern border than any other time in Texas history.”
Goliad County Sheriff Roy Boyd spoke next, highlighting that open borders directly contribute to an active slave trade and drug-running operation.
“We have to take back the whole state,” Sheriff Boyd said. “You got to make all the phones ring in this pink building back here and tell them they need to pass House Bill 20. … Call your senators, call your reps, and demand they get that bill to the floor and vote on it.”
Jaeson Jones, the CEO of Omni Intelligence and a retired captain in the DPS Counterterrorism Division, told the crowd, “What you are witnessing at the southern border is the largest failure of the U.S. intelligence services since 9/11.”
Based on his law enforcement experiences, he argued that the cartels represented the biggest threat to America and ought to be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
Victor Avila, a retired special agent with ICE who worked operations on both sides of the border, seconded the perspective of the other speakers, saying, “The cartels are an imminent threat not just to the State of Texas, but to our country.”
“I am here to be a voice for all those victims that open border policies have brought,” Avila said, telling the story of how he had been shot three times in a cartel attack. “You want to save lives? It starts in this building behind me. … We must act now.”
A woman praying at the rally | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
George Rodriguez, the host of the radio show El Conservador, said, “I am an American of Mexican descent, and I want my country to have borders.”
“It’s time, my friends, to say no mas. … If we don’t punish illegal immigration, it’ll continue,” he continued. “These people are being resettled throughout the United States. It is the colonization of America through illegal immigration.”
“We need to understand that the media is our enemy — the local media,” Rodriguez said.
After Rodriguez spoke, Mark Meckler came back on stage to call attention to white supremacist flyers that had been passed out in the crowd and condemned it.
“You can get the hell out of here right now,” Meckler said. The crowd surrounded the person distributing the flyers and booed them out of the event. “We welcome anyone here except white supremacists. Get the hell out of here!”
Jeffrey Stamm, the former DEA Deputy Chief of International Operations, then spoke about the dangers of international narco-terrorism facilitated by open border policies.
“Most Americans have no idea how dangerous the world has become,” he said.
Virginia Krieger, the cofounder of Lost Voices of Fentanyl, gave a video presentation of how “one pill went through my family like a freight train,” killing her daughter and leading her son down a path of drug abuse. She urged for stronger government action to shut down international organizations that produce and traffic fentanyl.
“My family will never come back, but I can fight for your families,” she said. “This is the fight of our lives, and we need everyone on the battlefield.”
“Lost Voices of Fentanyl” graphic is displayed on the screen | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
Other speakers included Craig Sawyer, former Navy Seal and founder of Veterans for Child Rescue; Mark Morgan, the former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under President Donald Trump; CJ Pearson, a PragerU personality; and journalist Lara Logan.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) then took the stage.
“Are you guys tired of Texas being attacked? Are you tired of Texas being taken for granted by the rest of this country?” he asked the crowd, who responded with a “yes” in unison.
“We have to do something in Austin … I want to thank my friend, Matt Schaefer,” Rep. Roy added, indicating his support for HB 20. “You have my commitment as a member of the United States Congress … to stand up to fight for strong legislation and get it passed. … Our job is to go up there and fight for Texas.”
How Many More? encouraged the Texas Legislature to pass House Bill 20, which was authored by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler).
The proposal seeks to “ensure the safety and welfare of the southern border region of this state, including protection from ongoing criminal activity and public health threats.”
To accomplish some of these goals, HB 20 would create the Border Protection Unit, a new law enforcement entity to secure the border regions, and issue a formal declaration of invasion as defined in Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution.
The Border Protection Unit would “deter and repel persons attempting to enter the State of Texas illegally,” “return aliens to Mexico who have been observed actually crossing the Mexican border illegally,” and “use force to repel, arrest, and detain known transnational cartel operatives in the border region.”
A woman holds up a “Stop The Invasion” sign | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
The committee substitute of the bill was recently reported favorably by the State Affairs Committee, setting the stage for consideration by the full body.
Many attendees expressed their support, with Phil Katie telling The Dallas Express, “I’m here to support the efforts of securing our border here in Texas. Without borders, we don’t have a country, [and] we don’t have a state.”
Similarly, Cortez Johnson said to The Dallas Express, “We have these people here today to send a message out to the legislators to pass laws to make the Mexican cartels terrorist organizations.” Johnson also added that he hoped that the Texas Legislature would “be more strict with the border.”
“I think it is a long time coming to get some legislation.”
The rally ended with Mark Meckler urging attendees to call their elected representatives to ask them to pass House Bill 20.
Woman holding “Bordering on Insanity” sign | Image by Karin Dyer, The Dallas Express
Critics of the bill have suggested that the Border Protection Unit would enable untrained citizens to engage in racially-charged violence against minorities under the guise of border security.
Reed Bilz told legislators in a public hearing on the bill, “I urge you to oppose HB 20 because it is a dangerous and far-reaching bill that would allow vigilantes to roam the streets of Texas to arrest, detain, and persecute whomever they perceive are ‘migrants.’
“These vigilantes will be deputized, have broad discretion, and face no accountability for their actions.”
Similarly, Texas resident Anna Weeks said, “I am against this bill. It would encourage vigilante groups, and foster more racism. It goes against the principles of our country, and needlessly criminalizes those searching for asylum.”
University of Texas Professor Allison Craig added, “HB 20 is a dangerous and far-reaching bill that would allow vigilantes to roam the streets of Texas to arrest, detain, and persecute whomever they perceive are ‘migrants.’”
“These vigilantes will be deputized, have broad discretion and face no accountability for their actions,” she continued. “HB20 will only bring more racially motivated violence in already unprotected border communities, and let’s be clear it will not bring safety or protection to those seeking asylum on our border.”
