Experts: ICE Raids Harming Cockfighting Industry

“Texas has more cockpits than Walmarts”

Many people are saying immigrants came to Texas for opportunity—but apparently, “opportunity” means cockfighting.

Animals 24-7:

ATHENS, Texas––“Showing Animals Respect & Kindness got a tip this morning of a cockfight in progress near Athens, Texas. We called it into the Henderson County sheriff,” SHARK investigator Mike Kobliska emailed to ANIMALS 24-7 on July 13 2025.

“They seem to have done a good job,” Kobliska said. “I spoke to an investigator late in the day while he was still on-scene. He said that when the sheriff’s dept arrived, there were 200 to 300 people and only three deputies.

“Reading between the lines,” Kobliska offered, “it sounds like a good number of cockers ran away. But they have nine people in custody, some on felonies.

Laws against cockfighting are so racist. Finally, after 5 years of covering Texas politics, we finally found a racist law that discriminates against Mexicans.