Eagle Pass, Texas, has recently struggled to be the epicenter of the immigration crisis. As many as 5,000 people crossed the US-Mexico border in a day there, many of them through Shelby Park, a sprawling green space along the Rio Grande where people once played soccer, picnicked and kayaked.
To stem the flow of immigrants, the state seized Shelby Park and declared it private property so that anyone who entered it could be arrested for trespassing. But that created a new problem for the city: It could no longer use the peaceful location as a viewing area for Monday’s total eclipse, which will pass through the town of 28,500 and bring a very different influx of up to 100,000 visitors to area. .
“This is completely out of our control,” said Homero Balderas, the city manager. “We had to look for other options.”
The total eclipse will last four minutes and 23 seconds at Eagle Pass, the longest in Texas and one of the first places in the United States where it will be visible.
With immigration numbers declining in recent months, Eagle Pass is not only beginning to recover from the drain on local resources, but is also poised to benefit financially from the out-of-town boom. Some hotels charge as much as $600 a night, and restaurants and the local casino spent a lot of time preparing for a different kind of attention.
“We want people to see that Eagle Pass is not just a destination for immigrants,” said Federico Garza, police chief of the local police department leading security for the eclipse events.
When the number of migrant crossings reached record levels late last year, the local economy was hit by the temporary closure of an international crossing known locally as Bridge 1.
“Our biggest source of revenue for our cities is bridges,” Mr. Balderas said. “We feel the impact immediately.”
But since it has been the scene of a migration crisis, far fewer migrants have been passing through in recent days. State and local officials have credited Gov. Greg Abbott’s aggressive border measures for the slowdown.
The city expects a boost to the local economy “in the millions easily,” Mr. Balderas said of the influx of eclipse enthusiasts.
Thousands headed to a massive three-day music festival known as 57 South Music Fest at the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino, said John Wickes, the venue’s director of marketing. The city authorities were preparing to welcome around 15,000 people. Many are expected to view the eclipse at the city’s sports complex and a student activity building.
“It will be Christmas in April for us,” said Mr. Balderas, the city manager. “We really want to change the perception that the media has created about Eagle Pass, you know? To be overwhelmed by immigrants.”
But Shelby Park is off limits to locals who might have been using it to view the eclipse, with heavily armed state police and National Guardsmen keeping a watchful eye over layers of concertina wire, razor wire and chain-link fences.
Just over the international bridge in Piedras Negras, Mexico, tourists and locals gathered in the town’s main square to enjoy music and food.
But many immigrants on the Mexican side of the border were unaware of the eclipse — or had only learned about it.
Norman Eli Barias Figueroa, a 20-year-old from Honduras, heard about the eclipse from TikTok and was excited to be in the path of totality. But he had no goggles and suffered an eye injury from being ambushed by cartel members, he said.
However, he intended to watch.
“No matter what happens or where I am, I’ll always be able to see it,” he said with a big smile. “I just have to look up, right?”
Sandal Flores contributed reporting from Piedras Negras, Mexico.
