Border Report Live: Abbott announces billboard campaign to help stop illegal immigration

EAGLE PASS, Texas (Border Report) -- Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, unveiled a billboard campaign to deal with illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Speaking from a remote ranch on Thursday just north of Eagle Pass, Abbott was joined by Texas Border Czar Mike Banks, Department of Public Safety Director Freeman Martin, Adjutant General of Texas Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, and Rose Luna, CEO of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. Abbott was also joined by the owners of the ranch, Kimberly and Martin Wall.

The new campaign involves putting up dozens of billboards in Mexico and several Central American countries to warn migrants about the dangers of crossing the border, especially sexual assault against women and children.

The $100,000 campaign includes warnings written in Spanish, Chinese, Russian and even Arabic.

Abbott was standing next to a burned out tree in the ranch that the owner said was the site of sexual assault.

Kimberly Wall said her husband burned down the tree after finding articles of clothing from women and children she purports were raped there.

She said she has encountered women on her ranch who said they were sexually assaulted.

"This is tough medicine," Abbott said. "We want no more 'rape trees' in Texas. Do not make the dangerous trek to Texas."

Abbot said one billboard will warn migrants that "your wife and daughter will pay for their trip with their bodies."

Abbot also said Texas is excited about President-elect Donald Trump shoring up security along the southern border and he reiterated that mass deportations will happen on "Day 1."

Abbott said that according to conversations he's had with Trump, the border barrier will be expanded all along the Southwest border.

When asked by Border Report if Texas would continue building state funded border wall, Abbott said Texas would do "whatever necessary," adding that he hopes the federal government will pay for it.

Abbott launched Operation Lone Star — Texas own state-funded border security initiative — in March 2021 in response to what he called "President Biden’s reckless open border policies."

Texas has spent over $11 billion since then on Texas Department of Public Safety troopers stationed at the border, along with Texas National Guard troops, and has built miles of state-funded border wall — much of it in South Texas.