‘I’m afraid’: Texas butterfly sanctuary forced to close after far-right threats

The nature preserve on the US-Mexico border became a target of rightwing ire after it opposed construction of Trump's wall

In Mission, Texas, on the border between the US and Mexico, sits the National Butterfly Center. A 100-acre nature preserve once exclusively dedicated to the conservation of plants and wildlife, it has now been thrust into the national spotlight and become a focal point of divisions over the country's immigration policy.

This week, the butterfly center was forced to close its doors indefinitely amid ongoing threats from far-right conspiracists and QAnon followers who falsely claim it is a haven for human-trafficking and illegal migration.