EAGLE PASS, Texas. – There are two sides to the border — Mexico and the United States, but many sides to the complicated problem of migrants seeking the American dream.
To the point, they will try anything to cross into the U.S., even though the final blockade is the Rio Grande River backed by miles and miles of razor wire, and armed troops.
We asked a Texas guardsman, who was working to build additional barriers from razor or concertina wire, if it was fair to force the migrants to stay in the river.
“You know, at the end of the day, we’re all human beings,” said Sgt. Joshua Howard.
But there is a need for the U.S. to have a certain amount of control over who and how many can be welcomed to America. All, while balancing safety and security. That’s a big part of the role of the Virginia National Guard. Patrolling day and night watching over desperate people.
“People are just trying to seek a different life, and it’s hard to watch them go through that, but we want to aid them and their ability to do that and them to their nearest point of entry so that they can be safe as well as they go crossing the border,” said Staff Sgt. Stephanie Ashwell, a member of the Virginia National Guard from Vinton.
The migrants are trying to escape a terrifying situation, yelling to us in Spanish through the coils of fencing.
“What they are saying currently is on the other side in Mexico that they beat them, they raped the women, beat the kids. They abuse everybody,” Staff Sgt. Aaron Licourt of the Texas National Guard, translated for 10 News.
And there is the daily problem of human trafficking.
“Every single day. And we see the evidence of it,” said Maj. Sidney Leslie, the Commander of Task Force Cardinal, the code name for the Virginia deployment.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin pointed specifically to human trafficking and the dangerous drug fentanyl making their way to Virginia.
“Every state is a border state,” Youngkin said. “Five Virginians die every day from fentanyl overdoses.”
To watch our full On the Frontline special, click here.