Sheriff Tom Schmerber, an elected Democrat in Maverick County, Texas, was watching on a television in his office near the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday as President Trump delivered his second inaugural address.
“It’s all about common sense,” Mr. Trump was saying, as he promised drastic changes to the nation’s immigration system.
“I hope so,” Mr. Schmerber replied to the television, with some skepticism.
There were immediate changes — especially for migrants with pending appointments to meet with immigration officials — but along much of the border, already quieted by recent Biden administration policy changes, the dominant feeling was anxious anticipation, tinged with confusion.
When Mr. Trump said from the U.S. Capitol that he would send federal troops to the border, Sheriff Schmerber wondered how they would operate legally.
“The soldiers cannot go on private property unless they have permission of the owners,” he said.
And the new president’s portrayal of a nation on its knees might have seemed out of place in Eagle Pass, Texas, which had been ground zero for Gov. Greg Abbott’s clashes with the Biden administration. National Guard troops stood watch in a cold wind in a park, but all was quiet. There had been no illegal crossings from Mexico, or much of anything in recent days.