The Texas National Guard has taken control of a park on the U.S. southern border and is currently preventing Border Patrol from entering the area. It's part of an effort to stop a surge of illegal immigration into Texas, a move that could significantly increase tensions with Texas' governor. .Greg Abbott and the Federal Government.
The state government has taken control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, which has become the epicenter of the migrant crisis involving the U.S. border. Authorities are now installing razor wire and fencing to cordon off the area.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas said he was informed the decision was made as part of Gov. Greg Abbott's state of emergency. Salinas told reporters it was not requested by the city and that it is his understanding that Border Patrol agents are not currently in the area as a result.
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January 11, 2024: Texas State Police secure Shelby Park near Eagle Pass. (Fox News)
The Texas Department of National Guard said in a statement that it has maintained a presence in the park since 2021, including security points and temporary barriers.
“Our current position is to prepare for a future surge in illegal immigration by restricting access to organizations that routinely allow illegal immigration into the park and the greater Eagle Pass area.”
The Border Patrol union acknowledged to Fox News that its agents were being held back by Texas state troopers and praised Abbott for taking matters into his own hands.
“Governor Abbott is not hurting Border Patrol operations, he is strengthening them,” Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council said in a statement. “His control of Shelby Park will allow him to send agents to troubled areas where escapees are common. Governor Abbott's actions should be seen as a multiplier on his force.”
The dramatic move is the latest escalation in a feud between Texas and the federal government over how to deal with a record crisis that has overwhelmed both the state and cities across the country.
Mr. Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021, flooding the border with resources and law enforcement. As part of that operation, he installed a buoy border barrier on the Rio Grande that prompted a federal lawsuit that could soon reach the Supreme Court.
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Migrants entering the United States from Mexico are greeted by bellows wire along the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, on September 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
Separately, the Biden administration is suing Texas over the recently signed Anti-Illegal Immigration Act, which allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. argues that it interferes with the authority of the federal government and interferes with and harms U.S. immigration operations and processes. Relations with foreign governments.
Meanwhile, the state of Texas sued the government for cutting and destroying razor wire installed to prevent illegal crossings. That wire is installed in an area right next to Shelby Park. The lawsuit is ongoing and currently prevents the government from cutting the wire.
“We believe that Governor Abbott's policies and political stunts are unsafe and unsafe for Texas communities and for CBP and law enforcement agencies trying to accomplish their missions in the field. It puts them at risk. That's how he pulls off political stunts,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last month.
Mr. Abbott's office dismissed the criticism from the federal government, instead accusing the administration of fueling the crisis with an “open border policy.”
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“Texas is closing its southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti-climb fencing to deter and repel record levels of illegal immigration caused by President Biden's reckless open border policies. Instead of enforcing federal immigration laws, Texas is maintaining its borders. The Biden administration is allowing unfettered access for Mexican cartels to smuggle people into our country.” said Renae Eze, an Abbott spokeswoman, on Thursday.
“Texas will continue to deploy the Texas National Guard, DPS troops, and more barriers, and President Biden will continue to utilize all tools and strategies to respond to the ongoing border crisis.”
Texas has also disrupted “sanctuary” cities across the country with a pattern of busing migrants into these cities to help overwhelmed border communities. Mr. Abbott announced this week that the country is now sending more than 100,000 migrants to these cities.
Mr. Abbott's recent move in Shelby Park drew immediate support from some Texas conservatives.
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“I fully support the Governor in doing whatever it takes (from a legal perspective) to secure Texas' borders,” Republican Texas state Rep. Chip Roy said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). ).
Fox News' Louis Casiano and Casey Stegall contributed to this report.
