DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas (NewsNation) — A convoy of protestors calling themselves “God’s Army” was in Texas Thursday as the group made their way to California. It’s day four of a two-week-long protest to raise awareness about the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Supporters have traveled from all areas of the country — from states like New Jersey, Missouri and Georgia — to be part of the “Take Our Border Back Convoy,” which began in Norfolk, Virginia.
“We’re a nation of immigrants, but we have to have security at our border and know who’s coming in,” said Naomi Elliott, who joined up with the caravan in Tennessee.
The protest comes as the standoff between Texas and the federal government over border enforcement intensifies.
Since the start of the convoy, protesters have maintained they plan to remain peaceful. Those who spoke with NewsNation said they’re hoping to show their support for local law enforcement.
Federal agents are still not being allowed into Shelby Park, Texas, to conduct their normal operations. The Biden administration weighed the decision on whether to pursue legal action against the state after giving Texas officials a deadline to allow agents into the area.
With the pressure mounting on the Biden administration to curb high levels of illegal crossings after a new record for the most migrant encounters in a single month was set in December, lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are inching closer to a new border deal that would give President Joe Biden the authority to shut down the border if illegal crossings exceed 5,000 on any given day.