Morning Briefing: 'God's Army' Brings Together Far Right Extremists at Texas Border
Morning Briefing: 'God's Army' Brings Together Far Right Extremists at Texas Border
The "Take Our Border Back" convoy brought together far right extremists at the Texas border with Mexico, and apparently inspired or attracted violent extremists.
Morning Briefing: Far right activists that were part of the so-called “God’s Army” gathered in the small town of Quemado, Texas “along the Rio Grande river, which forms the natural border between the United States and Mexico, as debate swirls again about how to address record high migrant crossings.”
The purpose of the “Take Our Border Back” convoy was to show support for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “who has deployed the National Guard to try to wrest immigration control away from federal authorities,” and extremism experts warned that the “dispute is giving rise to conspiracy theories, white supremacy and the same rhetoric that inspired the violence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.”
A migrant processing facility in Eagle Pass, Texas was reportedly “evacuated after right-wing extremists threatened to burn it down,” and the approximately 175 migrants “were relocated to other facilities around the state.”
Paul Faye was reportedly arrested for possession of an unregistered firearm, and court documents revealed that he was allegedly “planning to join a militia border group, set off explosives, and act as a sniper at the Mexico/U.S. border,” as first reported by
at .Adam Edward Braun was arrested in Eugene, Oregon for “allegedly tagging a local synagogue with antisemitic graffiti,” and after Braun was identified local law enforcement reportedly “went to his home, where they found Nazi and Ku Klux Klan memorabilia.”
In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, White Nationalist propaganda was reportedly found on several businesses, and after a bar owner replaced a pride flag hanging outside the business, “white nationalist stickers were found all over nearby businesses.”
The trial of the White Supremacist who allegedly shot and killed 10 people at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo, New York, will reportedly not “start for at least 18 months to give lawyers time to tackle a host of legal and logistical issues.”
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Must Reads
Tess Owen writes that “the ‘God’s Army’ convoy rallied in three cities near the southern border this weekend, drawing a mix of Christian nationalists, MAGA influencers, Jan. 6 rioters, aspiring lawmakers, live streaming grifters, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and paramilitary groups. The stated purpose of the rallies—officially called the ‘Take Back Our Border’ convoy— in Quemado, Texas, Yuma, Arizona, and San Ysidro, California, was to protest the Biden Administration's handling of immigration across the U.S.-Mexico border. But the rhetoric at those events went well beyond gripes about immigration policy. Speeches were a soup of grievances, anti-government conspiracies, and dehumanizing language about migrants. Jan. 6 rioters were hailed as folk heroes: ‘I am a January 6 defendant, guns up,’ declared speaker Ryan Zink, who served 60 days in jail for his crimes during the insurrection at the Capitol, and is now running for Congress. Attendees got an earful of apocalyptic rhetoric, and were repeatedly told that they were fighting a ‘spiritual battle’ for the soul of America. Perhaps most notably, this weekend marked the biggest mobilization for the fringe right in years.” [Vice News]
Christopher Mathias writes that “there has been an explosion in violent anti-immigrant rhetoric in recent months as Republicans, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and likely presidential nominee Donald Trump, keep escalating their conflict with President Joe Biden over what to do with a rise in immigrants and asylum seekers at the southern border. Last month, Abbott boasted that his administration would do everything in its power to stop immigrants from crossing the Rio Grande, including installing dangerous razor wire along the river that defines the U.S. border with Mexico. ‘The only thing we’re not doing is shooting people,’ he said, because ‘the Biden administration would charge us with murder’ — a winking admission that he’d permit extrajudicial killings if it didn’t mean going to prison. And when the Supreme Court ruled last month in favor of the Biden administration’s desire to remove the razor wire installed by Abbott, the governor responded by threatening to defy the highest court in the land, invoking language reminiscent of Southern states’ statements of secession before the Civil War.” [Huffington Post]
Brandy Zadrozny writes that “measles — a disease so contagious it acts as a bellwether for threats from other infectious diseases — is marked by fever, flu-like symptoms and an itchy rash, and sometimes comes with dire complications including pneumonia, seizures and brain damage. For every 1,000 cases of measles, about 200 children may be hospitalized, 50 may get pneumonia, one child may develop brain swelling along with deafness or disability, and between one and three may die. Despite the availability of an incredibly effective vaccine, the disease is spreading worldwide. The reasons behind the surge are complex… Anti-vaccine activists and influencers are unfazed. Mother and wellness influencers with tens of thousands of followers on Instagram have reacted to the recent outbreaks with posts warning their audience not to buy into the hype. ‘As the news tries to fear-monger about the measles ‘outbreak,’’ one home birth advocate posted, ‘remember that the vaccine is more dangerous than the actual illness.’ (This is false.)” [NBC News]
What to expect from Radical Reports: Morning Briefing provides a daily round-up of reporting on the Radical Right; Extremist Links offers a weekly round-up of extremists activities including the white supremacist and militia movements; Narratives of the Right delivers weekly analysis of the current narratives in far right online spaces and promoted by right-wing media; and Research Desk provides monthly highlights research and analysis from academia on the Radical Right.
