EAGLE PASS, Texas (NewsNation) — Small business owners in Eagle Pass, Texas, say the area now resembles a ghost town. This is attributed to the dependence of Mexican residents crossing the border to shop in the U.S., which is hindered by the closure of legal ports of entry.
“Recently with all this going on, it’s just been dead,” said Alex De Hyos, who works at Cowboy Corral. “We have weekends here where we don’t even make any sales. We make little of any sales when normally we should be making a lot more.
He added: “I think what Abbot is doing, kind of helps keep the bridge open more consistently than constantly having the masses of people down here. “
Officials in Eagle Pass express they want collaboration between Texas and the federal government rather than conflict.
Texas and the federal government have been in a standoff over border enforcement. 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.
Washington is working on a new border deal, but specifics regarding timing and outcomes remain elusive.
Eddie Morales, a Texas State Representative and lifetime resident of Eagle Pass, fired back at House Republicans over border deal negotiations.
“If every day these Republicans, on the congressional and state levels, have been waking up and claiming that this is the number one issue, right now is the opportunity to fix it. What’s taking you so long? Get to work,” Morales said.
Currently, a convoy of protesters is en route to Eagle Pass, as well as other border hot spot locations, to express their frustration over migrants entering the U.S. illegally.
