A rancher on the border of fear and compassion

*A piece about U.S. border security from where it matters most. A rancher in deep South Texas writes about the difficult balance between compassion for immigrants and the fear of organized crime. VL

By Hugh Fitzsimons, Texas Tribune

I’m a rancher in Dimmit County, Texas. My family and I run about 100 head of bison 25 miles southwest of Carrizo Springs, just eight miles east of the Rio Grande.

Living where I do has put me in close proximity to our state’s border woes. Immigrants from Mexico and Central America are an everyday sight down here. And though most of my interactions with them have been pleasant and positive, I admit that my views are complicated — marked by fear and compassion.

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[Photo by J. N. Stuart/Flickr]