Note: This live blog for the Take Our Border Back Convoy is no longer being updated. For the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the United States-Mexico border, stay with BorderReport.com.
The Take Our Border Back Convoy is making its way to different parts of the U.S.-Mexico border and making several stops along the way. One group started in Virginia and arrived in Dripping Springs, Texas, on Wednesday after stops in Jacksonville, Fla., and Baton Rouge, La. The group had a rally on Thursday in Dripping Springs, on the outskirts of Austin. Part of that group will head to the border town of Quemado, Texas. Others will head from Dripping Springs to Yuma, Arizona, and a third group is rallying in San Ysidro, California, and will also caravan to Yuma.
Members of the convoy say they are fed up with the Biden administration allegedly not enforcing immigration laws and allowing a record number of unauthorized non-citizens to remain in the country. They say they want to peacefully protest and call on the U.S. government to secure the border with Mexico.
Border Report will continue updating this story. You can find the latest videos and testimonies below:
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024:
4:20 p.m.:
SAN YSIDRO, Calf. — An estimated 300 people gathered at Larsen Field, a city park less than a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border, for a “Take Our Border Back’ rally Saturday morning.
The rally itself lasted more than two hours.
Upon its completion, most got into their cars and trucks and drove to Yuma, Arizona, 160 east of San Diego.
12:30 pm:
Miles Montegut, of Texas City, Texas, drove six hours to Quemado on Friday and was at the prayer service. “It’s people bonding and sharing their experiences and their, I guess, frustration with what’s going on with a lack of controlling our border,” he said as he watched the festivities sitting on a chair atop his RV.
“The lack of border control brings in child trafficking, drugs, criminals, foreign nationals. There’s too many that are coming in,” he told Border Report.
‘Minnesota Mike’
Mike Friendshu, aka, “Minnesota Mike,” is from Apple Valley, Minnesota.
The 60-year-old was part of Friday’s 10-hour convoy and said he drove to Texas alone to be part of this weekend’s convoy from outside Austin to Quemado, Texas.
“Because I’m sick and tired of what our government’s doing to our country. I’m sick and tired of what all governments are doing to the world,” he told Border Report sporting a fur warmth hat from his home state.
“I just love this hat and so I thought I’d wear it because everybody loves it,” he said.
“Today’s rally I hope we accomplish some awareness, bring some awareness to people about what’s happening with child sex trafficking and human trafficking period. And I also want to see the border closed and kept closed and people coming in legally, like they’re supposed to instead of letting the country be taken.”
12 p.m.:
QUEMADO, Texas — The prayer rally at the Cornerstone Children’s Ranch started with singing. About 200 people were seated in the stadium in folding chairs and a band played on stage. Energetic music was uplifting to many who danced and raised their hands up and sang out loud.
11:50 a.m.:
QUEMADO, Texas — Mike Bell, of Spring, Texas, outside Houston, drove six hours to attend the prayer rally on Saturday in Quemado, Texas.
He’s here “to show support for closing the border and opposition to the current administration and what they’re doing to this country,” he told Border Report. “I want the government to stop letting all the illegals in and abide by the Constitution, which they’re not doing.”
He says he wants the peaceful event to send a message to the world.
“You feel like you’re helpless. You can’t do anything. So this is something I felt like I needed to do,” he said.
11:45 a.m.
QUEMADO, Texas — Outside the Cornerstone Children’s Ranch are dozens of people holding signs, mostly agains the Biden administration and many with profanity. Inside the rally, organizers are telling the crowd of 300 these people are not part of the prayer service. (Sandra Sahncez/Border Report)
11:30 a.m.:
QUEMADO, Texas — Hundreds of cars line the rural ranch roads near the Cornerstone Children’s Ranch where a prayer service is to begin at noon. On the roads are a heavy law enforcement presence with officers from several neighboring counties.
Maverick County Sheriff’s deputies question a man and ask him to remove his rifle from his vehicle and empty the ammunition on the ground. Deputies told Border Report it was a “traffic stop.” Several people stopped to film the event and were complaining his rights were violated.
10:09 a.m.:
9:13 a.m.:
SAN YSIDRO, California — The stage is set and dozens of people have started gathering for the third leg of Take Our Border Back Convoy. The group will have a rally and then caravan to Yuma, Arizona.
Friday, Feb. 2, 2024:
11:31 p.m.:
TX: The “Gods Army” convoy arrived to the Cornerstone Children’s ranch in Quemado, Texas—About 20 miles outside of Eagle Pass—But still directly on the border.
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) February 3, 2024
The Kinney County Sheriff tells me around 300 vehicles in all were in the convoy—He says he shut down the roadway and… pic.twitter.com/J9s7OvRgHj
6:01 p.m.
Dozens of supporters line the streets of Uvalde, Texas, to welcome the convoy as it continued toward the border, some 65 miles away.
4:35 p.m.:
PIT STOP: The Take Our Border Back Convoy took a pit stop in Castroville, Texas, just outside San Antonio. Participants got gas and let their dogs take a break, too.
4:30 p.m.:
Just outside San Antonio, supporters gathered on the side of the highway to cheer them on despite the rain.
4:26 p.m.:
Before the convoy left Dripping Springs this morning, two women who live in the area handed out goodie bags to participants. The bags had water and snacks and even information about Dripping Springs.
“To support our truckers heading to the border,” said Julie Taylor, of nearby Driftwood, Texas.
12:45 p.m.:
Faith and community leaders in Eagle Pass on Friday issued a joint statement speaking out against “God’s Army” and the Take Our Border Back Convoy:
12:30 p.m.:
(Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)
10:30 a.m.:
The Take Our Border Back Convoy has hit the road and is heading from Dripping Springs to the Texas border town of Quemada. Dozens of participants started the morning by singing patriotic songs, including “God Bless America.”
Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024
11:57 p.m.:
A small crowd came to Vado Speedway Park late Thursday to welcome an expected caravan of vehicles from all over the country headed to protest immigration policy at the border as part of the Take Back Our Border Convoy.
Instead, the lone Winnebago pulled in. Read more …
8:07 p.m.:
Pastor Mateo Rodriguez, of the Potter’s House in Anthony, New Mexico, led prayer ahead of the arrival of the Take Our Border Back Convoy at the Vado Speedway in Vado, New Mexico.
The group projected images of what they call an invasion at the border.
7:47 p.m.:
From Border Report correspondent Julian Resendiz: At the Vado Speedway, in Vado New Mexico, folks are waiting for the arrival of the Take Our Border Back Convoy. A live band was playing music as people started gathering on Thursday evening.
“I heard that the fellow convoys were coming — I had been here before, the one in Las Cruces last time — and I met wonderful people,” said Marcy Chavez, who was holding a U.S. flag. “Wonderful people that believe, No. 1, in the Lord, because that’s more important. And, second, for them to drive all over the states, you know, fighting for peoples’ rights, it’s unbelievable. It just rejoices me to know they’re such great patriots.”
7 p.m.:
Artist Austin Sepulveda, 30, of Houston, was spray-painting an American eagle on a giant canvas and enjoying the speeches in the back of the Take Our Border Back Convoy Pep Rally help in Dripping Springs, Texas.
“I’m here to paint and hang out with some like-minded people,” Sepulveda told Border Report.
6 p.m.
From Border Report correspondent Sandra Sanchez: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin spoke to a crowd of hundreds at a pep rally for the Southern Border Convoy that was held outdoors at the One Shot Distillery and Brewery in Dripping Springs, Texas, southwest of Austin. She congratulated the crowd thanking “so many of you for being here in Alaska’s little state of Texas.”
“Now more than ever it’s required of us to stand up and fight for what’s right,” Palin said. “Every violation of our charters of liberty that’s going on right now … that our federal government is sanctioning to allow this invasion. Like I say, if that’s not treason, I don’t know what treason is.”
Rock legend Ted Nugent then took to the stage and told the crowd: “I hope you raise hell and scare the (expletive) out of the liberals.”
Rocker Ted Nugent addressed the Take Our Border Back Convoy Pep Rally in Dripping Springs, Texas, on Thursday evening. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report)
5:00 p.m.:
Hundreds of people gathered at the One Shot Distillery and Brewery in Dripping Springs, Texas. Take Our Border Back Convoy organizer Robert Agee told the crowd the idea for a caravan to the Southwest border came to him through “the spirit” and “from God.”
Hundreds came to a pep rally on Thursday evening in Dripping Springs, Texas. Take Our Border Back Convoy organizer Robert Agee told the crowd that God told him to organize the convoy to the border this week. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report Photos)
He said the caravan leaves at 10 a.m. on Friday for Quemado, Texas, 20 miles north of Eagle Pass, Texas, and will not go through Eagle Pass. It is going to hold “a prayer service” at the Cornerstone Children’s Ranch in Quemado. He stressed to the crowd “We’re going out here peacefully. We’re going to have a prayer gathering.” He said they also will try to “raise money” for the children’s ranch. “This is a spiritual war we are in. We must be careful. The enemy wants to bait us.”
Friday’s convoy originally was to pass the Austin state capitol but Agee said they weren’t driving into downtown and would catch the highway south of the city and drive to the border.
4:50 p.m.:
Steve Scanlon was selling Take Our Border Back Convoy T-shirts at $25 a pop in the parking lot across from the pep rally at the distillery in Dripping Springs, Texas. He said business had been brisk all day and he started hocking his wares at 9 a.m.
Steve Scanlon, 60, of Connecticut, has been selling Take Our Border Back Convoy T-shirts all day Thursday in Dripping Springs, Texas. (Sandra Sanchez/Border Report Photos)
The 60-year-old from outside New Haven, Connecticut, also selling American flags, pins and hats and says he’s going on the border convoy to Quemado, Texas.
“Why not? We have to do what’s right,” he told Border Report.
A giant life-sized poster of former President Donald Trump was nearby and some in the crowd were taking selfies as Trump flags were mounted on many vehicles in the area.
4:49 p.m.:
People from in and around Dripping Springs, Texas, say they welcome the Take Our Border Back Convoy, including Fred Summers from Leander. “It is a way to say thank you to those guys. This is like Fourth of July for me.” Others plan to join the convoy today as it makes its way to different parts of the border.
12:35 p.m.:
Part of the convoy that arrived from Virginia is branching off in Dripping Springs, Texas. Those who are not staying in Texas and continuing onto Yuma were expected to depart at 10 a.m. from the Dripping Springs Sports & Recreation Park, 27148 Ranch Rd 12, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.
Today’s “pep rally” in Dripping Springs will be at 5 p.m. at One Shot Distillery & Brewery, 31610 Ranch Rd 12
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
10:16 p.m.:
Roughly traveling through nine states over two and a half days, the “Take Our Border Back” convoy made their way towards Central Texas on Wednesday.
5:57 p.m.:
A sports venue 30 miles north of El Paso is getting ready to welcome the controversial Take Our Border Back Convoy as it makes its way to Arizona to protest President Biden’s immigration policies.
The convoy is scheduled to arrive in Vado, New Mexico, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, with music, prayer and a rally scheduled to take place at Vado Speedway Park, 15900 Stern Drive, in Vado, the sports venue announced on its Facebook page. The convoy was scheduled to depart near Austin, Texas, early Thursday and proceed along Interstate 10 to Arizona. Vado is a New Mexico town along I-10 West.
Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Monday, Jan. 29, 2024
Jacksonville, Florida
