A group of protesters, self-identifying as “God’s Army,” is embarking on a journey toward the U.S. southern border with a lofty aim of drawing attention to what they perceive as the Biden administration’s lenient immigration policies. The organizers are determined to gather 700,000 or more participants to voice their concerns.
Kim Yeater, an organizer for the “Take Our Border Back” movement, emphasized that the protesters consist of ordinary citizens, including farmers, ranchers, and retired police officers. Yeater stressed their intention to conduct a peaceful assembly encompassing Americans from diverse political backgrounds and ethnicities.
The group initiated its journey from Virginia on Monday and made an overnight stop in Florida, hoping to expand their ranks. As reported by the New York Post, painted vans and trucks joined the growing convoy in Jacksonville, Florida, on Tuesday morning. The convoy is set to travel through Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana before reaching Quemado, Texas, approximately 20 miles north of the border town of Eagle Pass. A rally is scheduled to take place there on Saturday.
Yeater conveyed her belief that the movement’s numbers could reach 700,000 or possibly exceed that figure. The convoy intends to branch off in Texas on Thursday and proceed to Yuma, Arizona, another border town grappling with a surge of illegal immigrants. A rally is slated for Saturday in Yuma. Additionally, a rally in San Ysidro, California, is scheduled for Saturday morning, according to the “Take Our Border Back” website. Participants will then join the Arizona rally, culminating in multiple rallies across these three states.
Yeater clarified that the group does not oppose immigration but rather seeks a controlled and lawful immigration process that includes proper vetting of individuals. She cited examples of grieving mothers who have lost children to drug-related incidents involving illegal immigrants. The group views the situation as having spiraled out of control.
“We’re all about safe, legal immigration, by vetting the people coming in,” Yeater explained. “I have moms [who will speak at the rallies on Saturday] speaking of children who died from fentanyl. I have one [Agnes Gibboney] whose child was killed by an illegal immigrant who had crossed that border multiple times.”
This movement is not perceived as a partisan issue. Yeater stressed that their goal is to protect their homeland and hold those in power accountable.
