- Anti-migrant convoy “Take Our Border Back” raises over $138,000 for trip to Texas, but video footage suggests small turnout on first day.
- Convoy aims to shed light on dangers of open borders and has gained media coverage and donations.
- Video footage debunked, showing flags from anti-COVID restrictions protest convoy, not actual “Take Our Border Back” convoy. Some politicians using the issue to make divisive statements.
Additional Coverage:
- A convoy calling themselves ‘God’s army’ en route to the Texas border to stop migrants has raised $138,000 in donations (businessinsider.com)
An anti-migrant convoy called “Take Our Border Back” has raised over $138,000 to support its trip to Texas. However, video footage from the convoy’s first day suggests that the turnout has not been significant. The group aims to shed light on the dangers posed by open southern borders and has gained media coverage and donations in the process.
The convoy, which is organized by “Take Our Border Back,” was set to depart from Virginia on Monday and travel through different border states before reaching Texas, according to the group’s website itinerary. Fox News shared a press release from the group stating that their goal is to draw attention to the dangers of open borders.
Donations raised by the group will be used for various expenses such as gas, permits, media support, rally location expenses, communication equipment, and supplies, as stated on their fundraising page. The funds will be received by an entity called “MISSION WTP HAGGAI 28,” possibly referring to a Bible proverb. Organizers have not provided clarification on the ongoing use of the funds.
One of the organizers of the group, as reported by Vice, referred to it as “God’s army,” while others emphasized the biblical importance of their cause. Despite the significant amount of money raised, the video footage from the convoy’s first day shows only a small number of people and vehicles in a parking lot, with no evidence of large crowds.
Videos claiming to show the convoy with multiple trucks and flag-waving onlookers have been fact-checked and traced back to an anti-COVID restrictions protest convoy from 2022. One of the organizers, Scotty Saks, told Vice News that the project is not focused on the ongoing border tensions between Texan and federal authorities, stating that they are peacefully protesting and exercising their First Amendment rights.
Although the convoy has gained attention, some MAGA politicians, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, have used the topic to make divisive statements, such as proposing a “national divorce” between red and blue states based on this issue.