Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk visited the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Thursday with a pledge to provide an unfiltered view of the ongoing migrant crisis through a live-streamed tour. Musk, the owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and the social media platform X, which was formerly known as Twitter, has been actively addressing the border situation on his platform.
Announcing his visit, Musk had disclosed a conversation with U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, who validated the severity of the crisis. Wearing a black cowboy hat, Musk went live on X, expressing his intention to engage with officials and assess the situation firsthand. He emphasized the importance of an unfiltered perspective, stating, “What you see is what I see.”
Acknowledging his immigrant background, Musk declared himself as “extremely pro-immigrant.” However, he advocated for an expanded immigration approach that welcomes law-abiding and hardworking individuals, while discouraging illegal immigration. Musk expressed concerns about the potential strain on social services, fearing a scenario similar to New York City, which grappled with an influx of migrants transported from Texas.
US Border Patrol just reported the highest number of recorded illegal immigrants in history at over 260,000 this month.
The full number, including unrecorded, may be over half a million per month, which is the population of Wyoming. https://t.co/KHekAFBBMI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 30, 2023
Joining Musk during the live stream, Rep. Gonzales appreciated the tech mogul’s effort to provide an unfiltered account of the border situation. The feed momentarily went offline before resuming, with Gonzales elaborating on the complexities of the border challenges.
Viewers’ responses on Musk’s live feed varied, with some commending him for taking on a role they felt mainstream media and politicians should be fulfilling. Others highlighted the challenges of livestreams, noting occasional interruptions. Musk’s distinctive choice of a cowboy hat and shades also became a point of discussion, with some users offering compliments and others injecting humor.
Despite intermittent disruptions, the feed resumed for an additional 13 minutes before concluding. Musk’s direct engagement with the border situation, coupled with his commitment to transparency, garnered both praise and amusement from users tuning in to his live stream.
Went to the Eagle Pass border crossing to see what’s really going on pic.twitter.com/ADYY2XvAKT
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 29, 2023
