Just a few weeks ago, I was in the Rio Grande Valley looking for a needle in a haystack: National Guard troops at the southwest border on federal orders. There aren’t very many of them — only 2,400 or so operating across four states — and they usually work in remote areas that are difficult to reach by car.
As if those factors didn’t pose enough of a challenge, Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star troops are deployed in many of the same areas, wearing almost identical uniforms. And NONE of the Guard members, state or federal, are supposed to talk to reporters.
I needed help. So I recruited a renowned environmentalist — a butterfly expert who understands the land, the wildlife and the ever-increasing federal presence at the border itself. She was generous enough to give me a back road tour that lasted an entire day.
If you haven’t traveled to the Rio Grande Valley, I should tell you that it’s absolutely beautiful: Lush, green and flowering. There’s always a light breeze and the sun hits in a relaxing way. You almost forget about the politicization and immigration alarmism that has attached itself to the region.
As we bounced along on a dirt path, the butterfly expert told me she’d seen some equipment typically used by federal National Guard troops — a mobile surveillance unit with a raised camera — at a local RV resort. But she also shared stories of Border Patrol agents, border wall construction and the steady militarization of places she’d loved since childhood. I sensed that she felt a responsibility to dispel myths about the RGV and reveal its deep contradictions.
I sometimes forget how lucky I am to be able to do this exhilarating, humbling work.
Lo and behold, we eventually found our quarry: two federal Guard troops surveilling the Rio Grande. The butterfly expert helped make this story possible. But so did you. Your gift to Texas Public Radio keeps journalism like this alive. Please consider donating if you’re able.
