A group of pecan farmers in Texas are voicing their concerns about the dangerous situation fostered Biden Administration immigration policies along the U.S. southwest border. The farmers, some of whom have been farming the official Texas state nut on the border for generations, say that increased traffic by both illegal immigrants and cartels through their farmlands and in the vicinity of their residences has made their way of life increasingly difficult and hazardous.
In an interview with The Center Square, the farmers described how large groups of illegal immigrants have trekked past their home on a nightly basis, often leaving behind litter, discarded passports, and human feces in their wake.
Worse still, the farmers have also been forced to confront drug smugglers in the area, who have sometimes left behind hundreds of pounds of drugs like marijuana stashed in their orchards. One farmer, who called the local sheriff to report a drug stash on his property, received a note attached to an abandoned vehicle filled with marijuana warning “Do not try to stop us.”
Pecan farmers are far from the only members of Texas’ agricultural community who have been forced to contend with the increasingly unfettered tide of illegal migrants. In May, ranchers Marcus and Stephanie Canales spoke with Fox News about the problems they experienced from migrant traffic through their property, particularly the destruction of their fences by illegal migrants passing through the areas.
Other ranchers who testified on March 16 before a Texas state senate committee on the border crisis described high speed chases through their property brought on by human smugglers, as well as break-ins and vehicle theft.
Despite the dangers, at least one pecan farmer seems to have found a silver lining in her situation. Jennifer Ivey testified that, while the situation was dire “if Trump’s wall wasn’t there, we would be completely overrun.”