United – Mexico: and in the middle there is a cemetery

In March 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott proudly announced the launch of Operation Lone Star to stem illegal immigration. Walls, fences, barbed wire, heavily armed patrols… In Eagle Pass, the Rio Grande, the river that separates this small American town from Mexico, has taken on the appearance of a war zone. This militarization of the border, far from dissuading the exiles – Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, Haitians seduced by the American dream – has above all weakened their crossing, further bruising the bodies and increasing the number of deaths.

“Political circus”, “comm stunt”… the activists of the Lutheran Church of Eagle Pass are not mistaken: the device is a way for the governor to reassure his electorate and to exert influence in a standoff with the federal power which has the Rio Grande as its setting.

At the end of January, the Supreme Court authorized federal troops to dismantle the device installed on the shore. Contesting the decision, Greg Abbott wanted to further tighten these measures, urging the Texas National Guard to prevent the army from intervening. As for the Texas law which criminalizes illegal entry on its soil, it is the subject of a back and forth between the Supreme Court and the courts of appeal. A few months before the presidential election, the subject of immigration has made its way to Congress, where the Democrats are trying not to abandon it to the Republicans. While Joe Biden tried to pass a budget to “close the border immediately”, Donald Trump asked the Republican Party to reject this resolution, which was consistent with his positions.