BROOKS COUNTY, Texas — Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to the El Paso border Thursday comes days ahead of Texas Governor Greg Abbott and his planned tour with former President Donald Trump.
Dr. Michael Vickers is a veterinarian in Brooks County. He also runs the militia group he founded known as the Texas Border Volunteers.
"The situation is escalating," Dr. Vickers said. "People that have private property in the border area, I just been overwhelmed by traffic coming across the property. Cutting the fences, breaking into the homes."
He said it's all happening in Brooks County on his property and the property of neighboring ranches. He said it's so bad there and along the border that one of his business clients with property there is ready to build his own wall if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't get the job done.
"The people who own the ranch actually own a large construction company and they're going to build their own wall if the governor doesn't build it," he said.
"Their situation right now is terrible. There's huge groups coming across that property. I think they have nine or 10 miles of river frontage."
Meanwhile, Vickers and his militia group are planning to go out next week and patrol for signs of migrants on the north and south side of the Falfurrias checkpoint.
When they spot a group of folks heading through the brush, they said they turn around and call authorities for them to take charge of the immigrants.
"The border patrol gives us intel," he said. "They tell us where all the traffic is coming through and they, like us, out there, we kind of fill a void that they can't fill. We are out there on that private property watching those trails where they don't have the manpower to do so."
Also, other immigrants never make it out of the brush because of the brutal terrain and heat.
A Brooks County Sheriff's Deputy confirmed to 3News that the department found three bodies Wednesday in the brush, bringing the number of immigrants who've died across the unforgiving land to 46 people this year.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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