Texas Republican welcomes protest convoy to border 'as long as it's peaceful'

Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas) said Tuesday he welcomes a convoy of protesters to the U.S.-Mexico border this week and supports their efforts to pressure the Biden administration to pass border security measures.

The protest group, called "Take Our Border Back," began its multi-day drive across the U.S. on Monday in Virginia heading toward Florida, with major rallies planned later in Texas, Arizona and California on Feb. 3.

“There's nothing more American than truckers. They care. It’s something they can do to call attention to the fact that Biden administration is totally inept on securing this border and doesn't really want to,” Williams said in a NewsNation interview Tuesday.

“As long as it's peaceful, come on, let's go. And frankly, every trucker is welcome in Texas,” the GOP lawmaker added.

Organizers have publicly urged participants to follow the law and cooperate with law enforcement during the rallies and convoy. The first day of the convoy’s drive from Virginia to Florida appeared to feature a few dozen vehicles including pick-up trucks, according to a livestream posted online.

Protesters have described themselves as part of "God's army" working to stand against "globalists."

Some advocacy groups, including the League of United Latin American Citizens, have warned of “looming trouble” from the group in Texas. LULAC connected the protest convoy to an escalating standoff between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and the Biden administration over border authority.

"Abbott and his supporters are creating a media circus for political gain and to raise money,” the organization's president Domingo Garcia said in a statement this week.

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