On the day before Election Day, the U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas issued a press release announcing that on Election Day, Tuesday, November 6, they would be conducting "Crowd Control Exercises" at 10 a.m. When asked about it, they basically said, "Strictly routine, you see! We do these all the time! Nothing to see here, we swear!"
Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger Maier, when asked about the timing of the exercise occurring on Election Day, said, “Our preparations are ongoing. There is no link to the election date.”
Oh, yeah. I'm sure there is no connection to elections at all. Holding this adjacent to the primarily Hispanic neighborhood of Chihuahuita, in Beto O'Rourke's hometown was pure coincidence. This "mobile field force demonstration" was not at all an attempt at voter intimidation, you sillies. Never mind that it was to take place 5 blocks from the town's polling place.
COMPLETELY COINCIDENTALLY, we're sure, once reporters showed up, and the ACLU and Texas Civil Rights Project got involved, the exercises were abruptly cancelled. Border Patrol had no comment as to why they were cancelled, or when they would resume, but the Texas Civil Rights Project will still be asking questions about why they were planned for Election Day to begin with.
