Elon Musk just visited this Texas hot spot at the border. But will it make a difference? | Opinion
It’s no secret to Texans that our border is a porous, chaotic mess. But Elon Musk thinks it might be.
Positing himself as a modern-day citizen journalist the owner of “X,” formerly known as Twitter, made a quick trip to Eagle Pass on Thursday night, one of the most congested migrant hot spots in Texas, to shed light on the problems at the border.
Musk livestreamed his visit on X, saying he was at the border to “eyeball the situation.” The billionaire owner of Tesla met with law enforcement and said he hoped to get an “unfiltered” perspective on the migration influx and to “see exactly what’s going on.” “It’s insane,” Musk posted on X, referring to the chaos. U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, acted as Musk’s tour guide.
Musk, an immigrant himself who is extremely pro-immigration, cautioned that the United States needs to get tougher on border security and stop migrants “breaking the law.” Pointing to New York City’s influx of migrants, some of which Gov. Greg Abbott has bused there, Musk predicted there would even be a “collapse in social services” if the status quo on the border remains.
The constant influx of migrants to this specific area has prompted outcry among conservatives and Republican lawmakers, who identify Eagle Pass as a focal point for stronger border security and the need to enforce and revise immigration laws and take the issue more seriously.
While it’s certainly true that it can’t hurt to have someone as enterprising and influential as Musk shed light on the border issue, while also promoting his platform as a boon for citizen journalists, it also seems clear by now that lawmakers, citizens and journalists alike all know how awful things are at the border. Finding solutions is the problem, but enforcing the law and turning back those entering illegally is difficult.
Still, that someone like Musk would take the time to visit the border, something President Joe Biden hasn’t done in some time, not only highlights the importance of citizen involvement, it showcases just how much of a problem the border remains and how little the Biden administration has done about it.
