MCALLEN, Texas — From fighting the return of the devastating New World screwworm to ensuring private property and historical sites are preserved during border wall construction, the Texas Border Coalition (TBC) is tackling a fresh slate of critical challenges facing the Texas-Mexico border.
In a recent wide-ranging interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, TBC Chair and Hudspeth County Judge Joanna "JoJo" Mackenzie, alongside TBC Vice Chair Eddie Aldrete, detailed the organization's top priorities for the border region—a list that now includes rapidly emerging energy grid and water security demands alongside traditional border security and agricultural concerns.
Representing elected officials and business leaders from El Paso to Brownsville, TBC serves as a unified voice advocating for state and federal policy solutions to foster economic prosperity and improve quality of life across the Texas-Mexico borderland.
Topping the coalition's immediate concerns is the resurgence of the flesh-eating New World screwworm, which was recently detected in livestock near the border in Terrell County.
Recognizing the existential threat to Texas ranching and wildlife, TBC leaders took the initiative to establish a direct line of communication with USDA leadership, arranging ongoing weekly Zoom briefings with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.
"Everybody's concerned," Judge Mackenzie told the Guardian, recalling how older ranchers remember past outbreaks. While livestock can be inspected and treated daily, Mackenzie emphasized that wild game presents a far more vulnerable target—a crucial point for rural economies increasingly reliant on hunting leases due to multi-decade droughts.
"A lot of our ranches have either failed or are really struggling due to drought... so we're deeply concerned about how it will affect wildlife. The wildlife is not something you can capture and keep an eye on each day,” Mackenzie said.
Mackenzie commended the federal response as strategic and modern, highlighting TBC's role as a vital conduit connecting local "boots on the ground" perspectives directly to decision-makers in Washington.
Border wall construction remains another dominant focus for TBC. Coalition leadership now participates in biweekly meetings with national and regional border wall directors, sector chiefs, and port officials to ensure local realities are factored into federal engineering plans.
In Hudspeth County, Mackenzie specifically advocated for the protection of Indian Hot Springs—a secluded area featuring seven natural hot springs, historical adobe structures, and a historic Buffalo Soldiers cemetery.
Rather than taking a rigid approach, federal officials drove three hours down unpaved, washed-out dirt roads to meet with local officials on-site. Mackenzie noted that federal agencies appear more receptive to balancing security goals with technology, private property rights, and livestock water access along the Rio Grande.
"They have a job to do, but they recognize that these are Americans and Texans and private property owners as well," Mackenzie said. "You just can't replace face-to-face interaction."
As economic growth surges along the border, energy transmission and regional water scarcity are rapidly rising to the top of TBC’s policy radar.
TBC Vice Chair Eddie Aldrete highlighted three converging forces driving energy concerns across South Texas:
Aldrete pointed out that during past heatwaves, South Texas possessed surplus wind and solar generation but lacked the transmission capacity to move power north to cities like Dallas-Fort Worth.
"If South Texas wants to keep up with the rest of the state, they need to upgrade their transmission lines," Aldrete explained. "TBC tries to stay in the lane of only focusing on issues that impact all border communities... Transmission is an issue throughout all of South Texas."
On the water front, coalition leaders are gathering input from municipal and county leaders across the region—from rare earth mining operations in Far West Texas to agricultural and municipal water stress in the Rio Grande Valley. TBC leaders recently met with Valley leaders, including McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, and Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., to align regional strategies.
By presenting a united front from El Paso to Brownsville, TBC aims to repeat its historic successes in transportation funding by ensuring border communities secure the energy, water, and security infrastructure needed to thrive.
Editor’s Note: The above news story is the third in a four-part series on the Texas Border Coalition. Click here to read Part One. Click here to read Part Two. Part Four will appear later this week.
