“How Much Did You Pay to Have Your Daughter Raped?”: Gov. Abbott’s Controversial Billboard Campaign

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has launched a $100,000 billboard campaign aimed at deterring illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border. The new initiative features warnings in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic, targeting migrants in Mexico and Central America with stark messages about the dangers of crossing the border, particularly the risk of sexual assault.

Speaking from a remote ranch just north of Eagle Pass on Thursday, Abbott was joined by several key figures, including 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. The ranch owners, Kimberly and Martin Wall, were also present, San Antonio Current reported.

Abbott unveiled the campaign as part of a broader effort to highlight the dangers migrants face, including sexual violence. The governor stood next to a burned-out tree on the ranch, which Kimberly Wall claimed was the site of assaults. She said her husband burned the tree after discovering women’s and children’s clothing, which she believes were left behind by victims of rape.

Kimberly Wall shared that she had encountered women on her ranch who reported being sexually assaulted. Abbott, standing alongside her, called the messaging of the campaign “tough medicine.” “We want no more ‘rape trees’ in Texas. Do not make the dangerous trek to Texas,” he said, referencing the tree and its association with the alleged assaults.

One of the billboards will warn potential migrants, “Your wife and daughter will pay for their trip with their bodies,” emphasizing the horrific risks involved. Abbott also expressed optimism about President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to increase security along the southern border, reiterating that mass deportations would begin “on Day 1.”

Abbott stated that the border barrier would be expanded along the entire Southwest border, confirming that Texas would continue its own border security efforts. When asked about the state’s ongoing border wall construction, Abbott said Texas would do “whatever necessary” and hoped the federal government would fund future projects.

Since March 2021, Abbott has led Operation Lone Star, a state-funded initiative that has cost over $11 billion. The operation has involved deploying Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and National Guard troops to the border, along with the construction of miles of state-funded border wall, primarily in South Texas.