‘Take Our Border Back’ Convoy Gears Up for Weekend Rallies

“It’s ‘We the People,’ coming together, petitioning, sharing our grievances with the [Biden] administration, leaders and people in positions of authority.”

Illegal immigrants who passed through a gap in the U.S. border wall await processing by Border Patrol agents in Jacumba, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Truckers, bikers, and Americans from across the nation are revving up for Take Our Border Back convoys and rallies, with three in California, Arizona, and Texas this weekend.

The convoys, as well as others from northern states, will rally at San Ysidro, California; Eagle Pass, Texas; and Yuma, Arizona, converging there on Feb. 3.

Kim Yeater, an organizer of the event based in San Diego, told The Epoch Times that the purpose of the convoys and rallies is to “shine a spotlight” on “open borders” and warn Americans of “the imminent danger” they pose.

“Wake up America,” she said. “We’re sending a local message to local state and federal politicians and law enforcement who have enabled the invasion of America with open borders. We want to close the border and send the illegal immigrants back to their homes safely.”

The grassroots group seeks a return to the “rule of law,” because “it’s lawlessness” at the southern border, but isn’t opposed to legal immigration. They say they oppose the Biden administration’s policies that have led to increased human trafficking.

They claim the United States has become “the largest hub for human trafficking in the world” and that open border policies have also led to increased drug smuggling while tens of thousands of Americans have died from fentanyl overdoses.

“The Take Our Border Back Convoy is a peaceful, lawful assembly and prayer,” Ms. Yeater said. “It’s ‘We the People,’ coming together, petitioning, sharing our grievances with the [Biden] administration, leaders and people in positions of authority.”

The current administration and the federal government are violating the U.S. Constitution, she said, specifically Article IV, Section 4, which says: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government and shall protect each of them against Invasion.”

She also cited a Jan. 25 incident in which two boats transporting suspected illegal immigrants landed at San Diego beaches—Ocean Beach and Windansea Beach. One group of more than 20 illegal immigrants was caught on video running from the beach and into La Jolla, California. More than 30 immigrants from both beaches got away before authorities arrived to find only abandoned vessels.

“They just walked into the streets. I’m sure there was a smuggling vehicle waiting for them to hop in,” said Manny Bayon, a National Border Patrol Council union spokesman in San Diego. “Welcome to America. Adios!”

From October 2023 through December 2023, there were 785,422 encounters along the southwest border, with a record 302,034 in December alone, according to Customs and Border Protection data released on Jan. 26.

Meanwhile, migrant caravans of about 1,500 left southern Mexico and started walking northward last week, following a larger caravan of about 6,000 that left in December, according to The Associated Press.

Illegal immigrants wait to be transported by bus to Border Patrol processing facilities in Yuma, Ariz., on May 18, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Virginia leg of the convoy headed to North Carolina into Jacksonville, Florida, on Jan. 29, where they spent the night before setting off for Eagle Pass via Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Dripping Springs, Texas. Another leg of the convoy will head from Texas through New Mexico to Yuma. A third leg leaves San Ysidro after the rally to Yuma, where the convoys will converge.

Maps of the routes are posted on the group’s website: takeourborderback.com

“All of America is participating,” she said. “It’s from west to east, east to west, and converges in Yuma. It’s a big deal.”

Truckers are also headed south from the northern states and Canada to join the convoy, she said.

The movement isn’t just about truckers. It’s about patriots from all over the country, including families joining the convoy on bikes, in cars, and in pickup trucks. It’s about bringing people together to protect America, Ms. Yeater said.

“We the People know we’ve got to take our power back on a local level,” she said. “So, we are empowering people with the tools they need, so that they can stand up for their God-given sovereignty. The Constitution is there to support us. We’ll hold our elected officials accountable.”