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Lauren Villagran

๐Ÿ‘ค Speaker
218 total appearances

Appearances Over Time

Podcast Appearances

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

And they say that that is a natural barrier to illegal crossings.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

Dana, I looked at the data and

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

The Big Bend sector, which represents one quarter of the U.S.-Mexico border, routinely has the lowest level of crossings.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

In fiscal 2025, when there were more than 237,000 illegal crossings or migrant apprehensions along the whole border, the Big Bend sector represented just 1%.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

Yes, definitely coming from U.S.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

taxpayers.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

Trump's promise that Mexico would pay for it never did pan out.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

This is not the very last stretch of border fencing to be erected.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

There are plans all along the border for new fencing in areas that previously had none.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

For example, there is a mountain in El Paso, Texas, right at the U.S.-Mexico border that is getting additional physical barriers built.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

The agency is looking at physical barriers in the Rio Grande Valley and in other parts of the border.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

But locals here say that the Big Bend is one of the largest and last completely untouched landscapes ever.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

You know, we were there and there was nothing obstructing the view into Mexico.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

You know, the mountains that are on the U.S.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

side of the border stretch deep into Mexico, making approaching the border in most of the sector quite difficult.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

You know, I don't know how people will vote in the midterms.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

Of course, the president is not on the ballot, though it's often believed that voters will punish a sitting president if they don't like the policies in play.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

I think people in the area, both Democrats and Republicans, and folks who repeatedly told me they're not very political or not activists at all, are all very motivated around this one issue.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

And frankly, they're incredulous that the government would try to spend billions of dollars to build a wall through an area that is considered a tourist gem of Texas.

The Excerpt
Why a border wall divides even Trump voters in Texas

There is the Big Bend National Park.