Arelis Hernandez

I decided to go there to see where things were at right now in terms of numbers, because I had heard from locals that they had seen troops, active duty military in town. They were eating at restaurants and buying condoms at Walgreens. And people were really wondering, well, what are they here to do?

I decided to go there to see where things were at right now in terms of numbers, because I had heard from locals that they had seen troops, active duty military in town. They were eating at restaurants and buying condoms at Walgreens. And people were really wondering, well, what are they here to do?

Historically, when we've had troop deployments to the border, they've been for a very specific amount of time to respond to a crisis. In this case, the crisis, if you will, had largely abated when these troops arrived.

Historically, when we've had troop deployments to the border, they've been for a very specific amount of time to respond to a crisis. In this case, the crisis, if you will, had largely abated when these troops arrived.

What I think very few people knew or understood is that starting around mid-2024, the numbers of people who were crossing the U.S.-Mexico border had been dropping precipitously and sort of continually month after month. And there's a lot of reasons for that.

What I think very few people knew or understood is that starting around mid-2024, the numbers of people who were crossing the U.S.-Mexico border had been dropping precipitously and sort of continually month after month. And there's a lot of reasons for that.

They can't put their hands on migrants. They can't technically arrest anyone, but they can call a Border Patrol agent and say, hey, I've got five people moving through the brush in this section. And that's really, I think, the large extent of what they're doing.

They can't put their hands on migrants. They can't technically arrest anyone, but they can call a Border Patrol agent and say, hey, I've got five people moving through the brush in this section. And that's really, I think, the large extent of what they're doing.

I decided to go there to see where things were at right now in terms of numbers, because I had heard from locals that they had seen troops, active duty military in town. They were eating at restaurants and buying condoms at Walgreens. And people were really wondering, well, what are they here to do?

Historically, when we've had troop deployments to the border, they've been for a very specific amount of time to respond to a crisis. In this case, the crisis, if you will, had largely abated when these troops arrived.

What I think very few people knew or understood is that starting around mid-2024, the numbers of people who were crossing the U.S.-Mexico border had been dropping precipitously and sort of continually month after month. And there's a lot of reasons for that.

They can't put their hands on migrants. They can't technically arrest anyone, but they can call a Border Patrol agent and say, hey, I've got five people moving through the brush in this section. And that's really, I think, the large extent of what they're doing.