(NewsNation) — A convoy of protestors, calling themselves “God’s Army,” will set off for Louisiana Tuesday as it begins day two of a week-long protest over the Biden administration’s border policies.
The group is going to great lengths, driving thousands of miles to highlight the ongoing issue at the southern border.
The convoy settled in Jacksonville, Florida, late last night, welcomed by dozens of people waving American flags and a band singing the national anthem.
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.”
The protest comes as the standoff between Texas and the federal government over border enforcement intensifies.
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.
The record number of encounters at the border last fiscal year has influenced participants to travel to such lengths in order to push for change.
Josh Fulfer, who drove across the country to join the convoy, is among those looking for a better border solution.
“It’s affecting my kids, and eventually my grandkids. This is costing us billions of dollars. I’ve been down there for months and I can tell you the border is wide open,” Fulfer said.
After leaving Florida, the convoy heads to Louisiana before making stops along border hot spots, including Eagle Pass, Texas; Yuma, Arizona; and San Ysidro, California.
The convoy’s organizers told NewsNation they expect more people to join the cross-country trek in Texas and Arizona.
Republican Texas Rep. Keith Self told NewsNation the president already has the authority to secure the border and will be voting “no” on the potential new border deal.
The convoy is expected to arrive in Eagle Pass on Saturday, where Self said he will meet with protesters when they arrive.
“I want to see thousands of truckers, I want to see motorcycles, I want to see a caravan there to send a clear message to the president that he needs to do his job,” Self said.
Biden said he was ready to sign the new border deal and shut down the border immediately, Congress would just have to agree on a deal.
“Any negotiation they send over, I will not be voting for it,” Self said. “Frankly, he has all the law. He’s just not doing it.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson posted to social media, saying, “Any border ‘shutdown’ authority that allows even one illegal crossing is a non-starter. Thousands each day is outrageous. The number must be zero.”
Johnson spoke with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about the crisis at the border, ultimately supporting the governor and his endeavors to protect his state.
“Both Texas and the federal government have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of their people. The Biden administration has failed to do so. While we fight for the federal government to do its job, the House expects that the Biden administration will not interfere as Texas fulfills its responsibilities,” Johnson wrote in a different post.
