Texas butterfly sanctuary shutting after immigration-linked threats from Trump backers

A butterfly sanctuary caught in the crossfire of polarizing conspiracy theories on illegal immigration to the United States says it's shutting its doors Thursday due to security concerns after threats from supporters of former president Donald Trump.

The National Butterfly Center in Texas, located on the banks of the Rio Grande that separates the United States from Mexico, had filed a complaint to block construction of the border wall that became a centerpiece of Trump's presidency, saying it threatened the winged insects' habitat.

The private sanctuary's gardens are home to more than 200 species of butterfly as well as bobcats, coyotes, peccaries, armadillos and Texas tortoises.