U.S. Border Patrol is conducting 'crowd control' drills on Election Day in a Latino area of Beto O'Rourke's El Paso
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday evening that U.S. Border Patrol agents "will be conducting a crowd control exercise" in El Paso on Tuesday, Election Day. El Paso is Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Beto O'Rourke's home and political base — he held his final rally there Monday night — and the "mobile field force demonstration" will start at 10 a.m. between El Paso's primarily Latino Chihuahuita neighborhood and that neighborhood's designated polling location, about half a mile away, Texas Monthly reports.
CPB spokesman Roger Maier declined to comment on the exercises but pointed to an earlier statement about preparations for the Central American migrant caravan hundreds of miles south of the U.S. border, walking north. "No walls, no CBP exercises (are) going to keep us from honoring our laws, our commitments," O'Rourke said when informed of the Border Patrol drill Monday night. "Why this is happening now, why the president is stirring these issues up at this moment with 24 hours before we decide this election, I'll leave that to you to conclude."
Other Texas Democrats were similarly confounded by the Border Patrol exercises, as was the ACLU. "The location, next to a totally Hispanic neighborhood, is suspicious," said ACLU Texas head Terri Burke. "The timing of this — Election Day — is suspicious. This administration, and by extension the (Gov. Greg) Abbott administration, have done quite enough to intimidate voters without staging military rehearsals on the day our nation exercises our most important democratic obligation: voting."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Border Patrol agents now carry semi-automatic rifles on the bridge separating El Paso and Mexico, citing the caravan. Trump's deployment of up to 15,000 troops to the border will cost $220 million, and a Pentagon risk assessment found the migrant caravan poses no risk to the U.S., CNBC reports, citing U.S. defense officials and intelligence sources. Peter Weber
Update 1:21 p.m.: This exercise was postponed Tuesday. Border Patrol did not provide additional details.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Antony Gormley's Time Horizon – a 'judgmental army' of 100 cast-iron men
The Week Recommends Sculptures are 'everymen questioning the privilege of their surroundings' at the Norfolk stately home
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'King's horses take free rein through London'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?
Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published