Texas Governor Greg Abbott has launched a provocative billboard campaign across Mexico and Central American countries, warning migrants about the dangers of attempting to cross into the United States. The $100,000 initiative features stark messages in multiple languages, such as, “Many girls who try to migrate to Texas are kidnapped” and “Your wife and daughter will pay for their trip with their bodies.”
Greg Abbott And Texas Takes Tough Stance on Migration
“This is tough medicine,” Greg Abbott said during a press conference in Eagle Pass, explaining the campaign as a counter-narrative to the promises made by smugglers and cartels. He emphasized that the billboards aim to save lives by highlighting the harsh realities of migrant journeys, including the high risk of sexual violence and exploitation. While Abbott did not disclose the source of funding for the campaign, he framed it as a critical step in protecting vulnerable individuals.
The campaign rollout took place on a border ranch where the owners recounted harrowing stories of finding abused migrants. Kimberly Wall, one of the ranch owners, shared, “It makes you terrified to go outside of your own house and enjoy your own property.” Reports of sexual assault among migrants, though underdocumented, have long been a grim reality. Investigations by outlets like The New York Times and Reuters have revealed alarming rates of violence, particularly in Mexican border cities like Reynosa and Matamoros, where migrants often wait for asylum processing.
Greg Abbott’s billboard initiative is part of a broader border security crackdown by Texas, which has spent over $11 billion in the past four years on measures such as razor wire barriers and trespassing arrests. The governor has also expressed intentions to collaborate with the incoming Trump administration on its mass deportation plans. “The message is: do not risk a dangerous trip just to be arrested and deported,” Abbott stated, reinforcing Texas’s firm stance on immigration control.
This latest move underscores the complexities of addressing migration while balancing security, humanitarian concerns, and international relations.