Texas mother who moved family to Rio Grande Valley for better life now fears for her kids' safety
A Texas mom in a town along the southern border is “constantly concerned” for her three daughters’ safety due to the increase in danger over the past six months amid the immigration surge.
Alison Anderson, who moved with her family to Del Rio, Texas, for a safer place for her daughters to play in the yard, told "Fox & Friends" on Friday that it was peaceful at first until increased migrant activity began to affect the area.
“It’s challenging because I am constantly concerned for my family’s safety and that especially of our three daughters,” she shared.
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Anderson stated how she often has neighbors calling her, especially her elderly neighbors, whom she described as “concerned and fearful.”
“We’re kind of on-call and we’re here to help our neighbors as well who are afraid,” she told Fox.
The level of migrant activity in the past six weeks has dramatically increased, she said.
The mother detailed how a group of illegal immigrants at their next-door neighbor’s house earlier that week was tapping on their daughter’s window and circling in vehicles.
"It's scary. I want safety. I want something done,” Anderson said.
Reports have also surfaced about homes are being invaded, ranches are being damaged and crime is increasing in some border towns.
Governors along the southern border have stepped up to respond to the worsening situation along the border. Critics have argued that the Biden administration's policies have exacerbated the border situation. However, Biden administration officials have argued that the rising border numbers reflect seasonal trends consistent with historical patterns.
“The Biden Administration's reckless abandonment of the rule of law is endangering Texans,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted last week. “It must be stopped. Working with law enforcement, we will uphold the law & restore safety & order to our communities.”
The Biden Administration's reckless abandonment of the rule of law is endangering Texans.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 1, 2021
It must be stopped.
Working with law enforcement, we will uphold the law & restore safety & order to our communities. pic.twitter.com/qBlzQgBMXy
Last month, Abbott announced the state’s plans to build the state's own barriers at the southern border after the Biden administration halted progress on the border wall started during the Trump administration. Texas will begin with a $250 million payment.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also plan to send National Guard troops or law enforcement officials to the southern border to help respond to the crisis.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there were at least 180,000 border apprehensions in May. Data on June apprehensions have not yet been posted by the agency.
Former Acting Director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Ronald Vitiello argued on “Fox & Friends First” Monday that the “chaos” at the border is the result of reversing former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
"Working with Guatemala, working with The Northern Triangle on governance and anti-corruption activities, that’s all well and good. But that’s not going to stop the surge that’s occurring on the border right now," Vitiello argued. "We’ve encouraged people to send or bring their children to the border and the root cause of the chaos is the reversal of the policies."
Unaccompanied minors came to the southern border in record numbers this spring and thousands of unaccompanied minors are housed in U.S. government-run facilities.
Vice President Kamala Harris was tapped to be the “border czar” in March and faced heavy criticism for waiting months to visit the southern border in El Paso last month, which is nearly 800 miles from the epicenter of the crisis in the Rio Grande Valley.
Critics called Harris’ trip to El Paso nothing more than a political, “check-the-box” trip.
Harris visited Guatemala and Mexico last month to address the “root causes” of immigration. She told migrants, “do not come, do not come” to the border due to the overwhelmed facilities.
Former President Donald Trump recently visited the "decimated" southern border where he accused President Joe Biden of "destroying" the country.
Emily Wood is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: emily.wood@christianpost.com
