Concern grows over migrant crossings in Texas’ Big Bend area

During a recent House Appropriations Committee hearing, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) warned of a growing crisis in the Big Bend Sector of Texas, where illegal border crossings are surging despite declines elsewhere along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Addressing Acting U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Pete Flores, Gonzales shared that ranchers in his district feel left behind as their region remains a hotspot for illegal activity.

“What I’m hearing from my ranchers is that, for everyone else, they’ve gotten relief,” Gonzales said. “But that area — the Big Bend Sector — continues to be a hotbed in particular.”

Unlike more urban border areas where crossings have dropped, encounters in Big Bend are rising. U.S. Border Patrol reported 291 illegal encounters in October and 324 last month — numbers that, while relatively small, concern local law enforcement due to the region’s vast, remote terrain.

Big Bend lies between two major border hotspots — El Paso and Del Rio — and is seeing increased migrant traffic as resources shift elsewhere. 

Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland confirmed an uptick in migrant traffic, noting many cross undetected. “We’ve been stumbling onto groups we didn’t know had crossed,” Cleveland, a former Border Patrol agent told Daily Mail. Migrants, he added, are being guided through the unforgiving landscape in camouflage to evade detection.

Sheriff Cleveland says most migrants are Mexican citizens heading to California farm fields.

The Big Bend area, known for its steep cliffs, harsh desert, and fast-moving Rio Grande waters, has long deterred migrants. Now, it’s drawing more traffic due to increased enforcement elsewhere. Sheriff Cleveland said his deputies have helped track as many as 60 people in a week—far above normal.

CBP Commissioner Flores acknowledged the challenge and outlined a plan that includes reallocating agents, deploying Department of Defense personnel, and increasing surveillance. “We’ll continue to work towards 100 percent situational awareness,” Flores said, emphasizing that enforcement and deterrence strategies are helping to reduce pressure in some areas.

Gonzales called for more support for local communities, suggesting that additional resources are needed to assist those those on the front lines. 

»Related: 8 migrant workers arrested at Vermont dairy in Border Patrol raid