On Saturday, hundreds of protesters from across the U.S. came to a border town in Texas to express their anger over illegal immigration. They also showed support for Donald Trump’s former presidency at a rally which blended border politics and religious rhetoric.

Vendors sold shirts and flags promoting the Republican ex-president, while speakers praised conservative Christian values, and criticized President Joe Biden’s border policies, a Democrat.

Keith Self, a U.S. representative, said, “Folks this is serious stuff. This is evil stuff.” “We are fighting a spiritual war for the survival our Republic.”

In the lead-up to the Nov. 5 election, immigration has become an important political issue. Biden and Trump will most likely be matched up again in a rematch of the 2020 campaign.

Trump’s calls for stricter border policies have motivated his voter base. His critics are concerned that such policies, and events like the convoy which preceded the rally, could inflame tensions.

Eagle Pass, located 20 miles (32km) south of the rally on Saturday, has gained national attention in recent months. Texas Governor Greg Abbott (a Republican) has clashed Biden on the aggressive tactics used by the state to discourage border crossers. These include troops, concertina fence and a floating barrier buoy in the Rio Grande.

Abbott and 14 Republican Governors will hold a Press Conference in the City on Sunday, to defend this approach.

Reuters witnesses reported that small groups of migrants were trapped on the riverbank by concertina net as they waited to be rescued after crossing the Rio Grande on Friday and/or Saturday near Eagle Pass.

Two sources familiar with the issue, who requested anonymity in order to discuss confidential information, said that while Saturday’s protest was peaceful, the FBI had identified a threat against a migrant center in Eagle Pass. This led U.S. Border officials to evacuate the facility in recent days.

“Any threat of that nature is a serious concern,” a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official told Reuters.

The official stated that the agency was able re-locate the migrants relatively easily, as border apprehensions in the region have dropped sharply over the last month.

The FBI declined comment and referred the matter to CBP.

Biden discussed border challenges on Saturday with Mexican President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador. He committed to continue “joint effort to counter transnational criminal groups involved in illicit trafficking in drugs, guns and people,” according to a White House statement.

On Friday night, a convoy of vehicles from Virginia rolled into Quemado to begin the “Take Our Border Back”.

Dennis Barnd, aged 61, and his wife drove from Ohio to Texas in order to join a convoy, partly because it had a conservative Christian message.

He said, “I live in an isolated part of the country with little activism. It’s inspiring to see people unite for a common good.”

Adam Chavin, 39 and wearing a shirt with Trump’s likeness on it, flew from Nashville, Tennessee.

He said, “I am actually trying to accomplish something.” “I am not someone who just talks, but someone who posts comments on the Internet.”

Anna Gabriela Derbez (56), a resident of Eagle Pass, at the border event said that immigration was just one issue – along with COVID-19 vaccinations, artificial intelligent and LGBTQ education – which were all part of a “fight of good against evil.”

Derbez said, “We are for immigration,” whose grandparents immigrated to the U.S. “Legal immigration is good immigration. People who want to come and work and improve a place.

Yuma, Arizona and San Ysidro in California will host smaller events.

The protest was joined by conservative personalities Ted Nugent and Sarah Palin on Thursday. Nugent is a rock star and a vocal proponent of gun rights.

Nugent called Biden “devil-scum” snake in a caustic address before playing the U.S. National Anthem on guitar.

The Minnesota pastor Doug Pagitt, who was on a tour of the area to combat “Christian nationalism”, was refused entry to the rally after participants said “you’re no wanted.”

Pagitt stated, “We want engagement,” after the event.

Since Biden’s election in 2021, the number of migrants who have been arrested for trying to cross into Mexico has reached record highs. The number of migrant arrests increased in December but has dropped dramatically in the last month.

Reuters reviewed internal CBP statistics that showed 216 migrant arrested on Tuesday in the Del Rio Sector. This sector covers a 400-km (245-mile) stretch of Rio Grande, including Eagle Pass. Internal figures indicate that this figure sometimes exceeded 4,000 per day in mid-December.

The U.S. government has warned that the slowdown may be due to seasonal factors, although the Mexican authorities have also increased enforcement.