Southwest
Texas has spent millions placing razor wire along the border: Is it working?
In the past couple of years the Texas National Guard and state authorities have placed over 100 miles of razor wire at some of the most critical migrant crossing points along the southern border. The state, which makes up over 60 percent of the U.S. border with Mexico, has spent well over $10 million erecting and maintaining these border barriers as part of its larger multi-billion-dollar border enforcement campaign “Operation Lonestar.”
This week, a federal appeals court ruled against the Biden administration’s attempt to block Texas from continuing to place walls of razor wire – also called concertina or “c-wire” – along the border. This comes after U.S. Border Patrol agents under the Biden administration cut down Texas’ wire on a 26-mile stretch of the border in September 2023.
Earlier this year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, said that “Biden should be thanking Texas, not obstructing our efforts to secure the border.”
“Joe Biden completely abandoned his constitutional duty to secure the border. Texas stepped up in his absence to build the wall, repel illegal crossings, and protect our country,” said Abbott.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announce the deployment of an inflatable barrier along the Rio Grande River on Thursday, along with a six-bill package he signed to bolster border efforts. (Gov. Greg Abbott’s Office)
But does razor wire really keep migrants from entering the country illegally, and is it worth the cost?
Andrew Arthur, a law and policy expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, says the answer is an emphatic “Yes.”
He pointed to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection that shows illegal migrant encounters in Texas’ five border sectors dropped by nearly two-thirds in January after the state finished placing wire.
Arthur told Fox News Digital that Texas began placing wire fortifications in May 2023 after the COVID-era measure Title 42 expired. Then, after the migrant surge in December, Texas deployed additional guard personnel, state troopers and resources to the border.
“Based on the numbers that we’re looking at here, it is most definitely effective,” he said.
Members of the U.S.military place razor wire along the U.S.-Mexico border on the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018, in McAllen, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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“What the wire did from my reading of this is it shifted that flow west,” he explained. “And that’s important, because that’s a much longer route. You’re adding hundreds of miles to that smuggling journey.”
While effective, razor wire is not without drawbacks. More than a traditional border wall, wire needs to be constantly monitored. It also requires regular upkeep and additional wire being laid down after old wire is damaged or destroyed.
“It’s a temporary solution, because you’re going to have to replace the concertina wire that they have and, at some point, they’re not going to be able to keep sending wave after wave of troopers, because a lot of those guys are hundreds of miles from their homes, because Texas is a big state,” he explained. “When I was embedded with a trooper down there, he was from Abilene, which is nowhere near the border, and he had been there for six weeks.”
A Texas National Guard soldier stands on patrol near the banks of the Rio Grande on April 2, 2024, in El Paso, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
There are also humanitarian considerations.
Arthur said that by being an effective deterrent, razor wire protects migrants from attempting the dangerous crossing over the Rio Grande.
Meanwhile, Dylan Corbett, who runs an El Paso-based migrant aid and advocacy group called the Hope Border Institute, said that the presence of c-wire along the border has increased migrant injuries and deaths.
Corbett told Fox News Digital that doctors working with the Hope Border Institute have had to treat the wounds of families injured by the wire, as well as “wounds caused by projectiles fired by the National Guard.”
Venezuelan immigrant Louis Sanchez asks Texas National Guard troops to let his family pass through razor wire after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico on September 27, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“In El Paso, nearly our entire border has been fortified by layers of concertina wire, including part of our border with New Mexico,” he explained. “While the numbers of border deaths along the whole border appear to have gone down over the past year, in El Paso they have increased. That increase has been sharp over the past couple years and coincides with the presence of the Guard and the concertina wire, because it is forcing border crossers just to the west of the city, where they die in the desert or crossing the river.”
He called for the federal government to finally step in and “assert its supremacy over managing migration at the border and fix our overall system.”
“More people are dying here than ever before,” he said. “The longer we wait, states will continue to engage in uncoordinated and irresponsible enforcement actions on their own, unnecessarily putting lives at risk and needlessly diverting millions of dollars in taxpayer resources.”
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Southwest
Savannah Guthrie’s mother Nancy possibly abducted from her home, authorities say
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TUCSON, Ariz. – Authorities in Arizona have revealed that the mother of NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie was possibly kidnapped from her home as investigators continue to search for the missing 84-year-old woman.
Nancy Guthrie was last seen Saturday evening at her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue, north of Tucson, around 9:30 p.m. after family members dropped her off at her home, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
“Sheriff [Chris] Nanos has stated that he believes that a crime has been committed,” a spokesperson for Pima County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital. “At this point, investigators believe she was taken from the home against her will and that includes possible kidnapping or abduction.”
Evidence also suggests Nancy Guthrie was harmed as she was being taken, but the extent of her injuries have not been revealed, according to NBC Nightly News.
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Savannah Guthrie and her mother, Nancy Guthrie. (Instagram/Savannah Guthrie)
“I can’t think of the last time where, in the middle of the night in someone’s bed, an 84-year-old woman disappeared on us,” Nanos said in an interview with NBC Nightly News’ Tom Llamas Monday evening.
Additionally, Nanos told NewsNation there have been no ransom demands in Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance.
A relative of Guthrie’s contacted authorities around noon on Sunday to report her missing after she did not show up for church, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information on the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie to call them or reach out via the QR code in this missing person flyer. (Pima County Sheriff’s Office)
“We’re pretty much just throwing everything at this that we can. Guthrie is 84 years old and is not of good physical health, and so naturally that’s a great concern,” Nanos said in a Sunday press conference, adding that the scene at the house raised “some concerns for us as well.”
“This is very concerning to us. We don’t typically get the sheriff out at a scene like this. But it’s very concerning what we’re learning from the house,” Nanos said. “And so we’ll just continue. The detective’s homicide team is out right now looking at the scene as well.”
On Monday, Nanos told reporters that investigators found a crime scene at Nancy Guthrie’s house and that she did not leave on her own.
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A missing person bulletin from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. (Pima County Sheriff’s Department)
“We believe now, after we processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime scene that we do, in fact, have a crime,” Nanos said. “She did not leave on her own. We know that.”
While authorities initially launched a search-and-rescue mission for Nancy Guthrie, Nanos added that it has been shut down, saying, “We don’t see this as a search mission as much as we do a crime scene.”
Nanos also revealed that Nancy has physical ailments that limit her mobility, but is of “good sound mind” and requires medication that could be fatal if not taken within 24 hours, according to NBC News.
“She could not walk out of that home 50 yards,” Nanos told the outlet.
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Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie pictured on “Today” on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
In a statement released to NBC’s “Today,” Savannah Guthrie thanked investigators while calling for the public’s help in finding her mother.
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“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support. Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear mom,” the statement said.
“We thank law enforcement for their hard work on this case and encourage anyone with information to contact the Pima County Sheriff’s department at: 520-351-4900,” it continued.
Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz, Adam Sabes and Stephen Sorache contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Savannah Guthrie asks for prayer as her mother remains missing: ‘We need you’
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NBC “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie on Monday thanked her followers for offering their prayers for her mother, Nancy, who authorities say was possibly kidnapped from her home in Arizona.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Saturday evening at her residence near East Skyline Drive and North Campbell Avenue, north of Tucson, at around 9:30 p.m. after family members dropped her off, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
In an Instagram post on Monday night, Savannah Guthrie said she believes in prayer and in God.
“We believe in prayer. We believe in voices raised in unison, in love, in hope. We believe in goodness. We believe in humanity. Above all, we believe in Him,” she wrote along with a photo that reads, “Please pray.”
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Savannah Guthrie and mother Nancy Guthrie on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant. Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment,” the post continued.
Savannah Guthrie added, “We need you.”
The journalist also quoted a Bible verse as she appeared to attempt to remain optimistic about her mother’s disappearance.
Savannah Guthrie taking a picture with her mother, Nancy Guthrie. (Instagram/Savannah Guthrie)
“‘He will keep in perfect peace those whose hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.’ A verse of Isaiah for all time for all of us,” she wrote.
“Bring her home,” Savannah Guthrie concluded.
Earlier on Monday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos told reporters that investigators found a crime scene at Nancy Guthrie’s house and that she did not leave on her own.
“We believe now, after we processed that crime scene, that we do, in fact, have a crime scene that we do, in fact, have a crime,” Nanos said. “She did not leave on her own. We know that.”
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Nancy Guthrie, 84, was last seen on Saturday evening. (Instagram/Savannah Guthrie)
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While authorities initially launched a search-and-rescue mission for Nancy Guthrie, Nanos added that it has been shut down, saying, “We don’t see this as a search mission as much as we do a crime scene.”
Nanos also revealed that the woman has physical ailments that limit her mobility, but is of “good sound mind” and requires medication that could be fatal if not taken within 24 hours, according to NBC News.
“She could not walk out of that home 50 yards,” Nanos told the outlet.
Evidence also suggests Nancy Guthrie was harmed as she was being taken, but the extent of her injuries have not been revealed, according to “NBC Nightly News.”
Fox News’ Christina Dugan Ramirez, Julia Bonavita and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
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Education advocates praise Texas A&M decision to wind down Women’s and Gender Studies certificate
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Texas A&M is winding down their Women’s and Gender Studies certificate, according to an announcement the university made on Friday, a move that education advocates are welcoming.
“Texas A&M is doing what all institutions of higher education should: cleaning house,” Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
“In a welcome development, the university has assessed more than 5,400 course syllabi to ensure that students earn degrees of real value, without being forced to subsidize race or sex discrimination in the process,” she added. “The pearl-clutching over censorship is, unsurprisingly, unfounded. After review of thousands of offerings, the university only eliminated six classes — representing a scant 0.11% of total courses available at the school. Texas A & M’s re-examination of its core curriculum and degree programs charts the path forward for other universities that want to ensure their degree programs are high-quality, value-neutral, transparent, and cost-efficient. Others should follow the university’s example.”
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Texas A&M is winding down their Women’s and Gender Studies certificate, according to an announcement the university made on Monday, a move that education advocates are welcoming. (Getty/IStock)
In their Friday announcement, the university said the decision was made as part of a course review for the Spring semester which looked at around 5,400 course syllabi to guarantee that they were in full compliance with the school’s policy requirements.
“The decision reflected both the requirements of System policies and limited student interest in the program based on enrollment over the past several years,” the announcement read.
According to the university’s news release, a total of six courses were canceled, including one course in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, two courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, two courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one course in the College of Education and Human Development.
The release added, “Throughout the process, university advisors ensured that course cancellations did not create any obstacles that would prevent students from staying on track to graduate as planned.”
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According to the university’s news release, a total of six courses were canceled, including one course in the Bush School of Government and Public Service, two courses in the College of Arts and Sciences, two courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and one course in the College of Education and Human Development. (Getty Images )
Interim President Tommy Williams was quoted in the announcement saying that the changes were intended to preserve academic standards and trust.
“For 150 years, Texas A&M has led the way for higher education in Texas, our mission unchanged,” Williams said. “Strong oversight and standards protect academic integrity and restore public trust, guaranteeing that a degree from Texas A&M means something to our students and the people who will hire them. That has been our focus through this process and will remain our focus as we move forward.”
Jonathan Butcher, acting director for the Center for Education Policy, and Will Skillman, senior research fellow in education policy at The Heritage Foundation, said the move was one that would bolster higher education.
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A general view shows the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas, in December 2016. (Reuters/Spencer Selvidge)
“It is entirely appropriate for Texas A&M to end gender studies programs,” Butcher told Fox News Digital. “These programs are not based on biology and were built to suit radical activists, not students who are serious about pursuing truth.”
“Furthermore, public opinion polls demonstrate that Americans do not want males to have access to women’s private spaces, nor do we want boys participating in girls’ athletics,” Butcher said. “Both of these ideas logically follow from gender studies programs.”
He added that, “Colleges are generally losing support from the general public, again, according to surveys, so more universities should be taking steps such as this — focusing on rigorous academics, not advocacy programs.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Tim Eaton, assistant vice president for institutional reputation management for Texas A&M, said the decision to wind down the Women’s & Gender Studies was due to two factors, one being requirements of their new system policies, as well as “the limited student interest in the program based on enrollment over the past several years.”
Eaton said that there are not any plans to replace the majors, minor and graduate certificates, but that the students in the programs will be able to complete their degrees.
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