The Texas Department of Agriculture is growing more concerned about escalations in migrants‘ attempts to overtake Mexican highways, worried that the protests and caravans could halt U.S. supply chains.
On Wednesday, a group of hundreds of migrants from countries other than Mexico ambushed a federal immigration facility in the southern state of Chiapas and demanded visas that would allow them to travel to the United States. Mexican National Guard troops on site fought the group, whose frustrated members instead turned to a nearby highway and refused to let traffic pass through for roughly 30 hours.
“This is an insurrection of immigrants who aren’t even — most of whom are, I don’t believe, even citizens of Mexico based on the reports we’re all getting. They seem to be from Haiti and South America, southern Africa,” said Reb Wayne, spokesman for Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “Given the rising tensions down there, it is something we’re aware of and are concerned about.”
Federal law enforcement inspect vehicles seeking admission from Mexico at the border, while Texas agriculture officials monitor and inspect some imports.
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The majority of all imports into Texas, more than $400 billion worth of goods, came in through the Mexico land border, according to the state comptroller’s office.
Wayne said this latest interruption in traffic is not believed to have delayed trade hundreds of miles north at the U.S. border, but previous halts in traffic, including a commercial truckers’ protest of Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) implementation of truck inspections at the border, have led to millions of dollars in lost profits.
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Migrants led by activists have embarked on dozens of marches through southern Mexico on their way to the U.S. Most have been unsuccessful in making it past Mexico City intact and break down into smaller groups. The caravans typically walk on highways, which can affect the flow of traffic.
