The escalation of the bitter conflict at the Southern border has taken a religious turn as a newly formed group calling itself the “Army of God” heads to the southern border to protest against White House policy on immigration.
The organizers of the “Take Our Border Back” convoy of truckers—mixing politics with religion– state that their mission is to stand up against “globalists” who they claim are conspiring to keep the U.S. border open and allow illegal immigrants to cross from Mexico.
“This is a biblical, monumental moment that’s been put together by God,” one of the organizers said on a recent planning call, as reported by Vice. Another said, “We are besieged on all sides by dark forces of evil.”
Razor wire removal at Eagle Pass, Texas is a contentious issue that has recently heated up. It involves a legal dispute between the state and the federal government over immigration enforcement and border security. Texas governor Greg Abbott ordered the installation of razor wire along the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass as part of his Operation Lone Star, which aims to deter illegal border crossings and arrest migrants on trespassing charges.
The razor wire has lately become a symbol of the political divide over immigration policy and the humanitarian crisis at the border. Now, however, with the introduction of religious references, the issue becomes muddled between politics and religion.
The federal government, led by President Joe Biden, opposed Texas’ installation of the razor wire barrier, arguing that it interferes with the duties of the Border Patrol agents, who need to access the river to rescue and process migrants who have already crossed over. The Supreme Court sided with the federal government and allowed the agents to cut or move the razor wire, while the lawsuit over the wire continues. Texas state attorney general, Ken Paxton, vowed to fight back and accused Biden of aiding the “foreign invasion of America”.
In defiance of a Supreme Court ruling, Governor Greg Abbott announced that he will continue to install razor wire along the Rio Grande River. Abbott, a Republican, claims that he is acting under the invasion clause of the US and Texas constitutions, which gives him the authority to protect the state from “foreign enemies”. Texas sued the federal government after Border Patrol agents began cutting down the wire, and the justices sided with the Biden administration.
The debate of state versus federal rights has turned the issue into one of Constitutional interpretation and Republican hardliners have made calls for civil war and secession.
The convoy of protesters, “God’s Army,” will reportedly make its way to the southern border next week, further exacerbating the tensions between Texas and the Biden administration.
According to statements released by the group, they are planning to leave Monday from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and drive through the southeast with stopovers in Florida and Louisiana before arriving in Texas. The self-styled “Army of God” plans to attend three separate rallies Feb. 3 in Texas, Arizona and California, according to its website.
The group is calling on active and retired law enforcement, military, veterans, elected officials and other “LAW ABIDING, freedom-loving Americans” to join the cause. Their goal is to “shed light on the obvious dangers posed by wide open Southern borders,” according to a news release dated Jan. 12.
The “Army of God” is hoping to build on the momentum created by the Republican governors, who on Thursday released a statement of solidarity with Abbott for “stepping up to protect American citizens from history levels of illegal immigration, deadly drugs like fentanyl and terrorists entering our country.”
A Go-Fund-Me campaign has already collected $66,000. “Once willing to die defending this country, now willing to die protecting my family from what this country has become,” one donor said, according to Vice. Another wrote, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
