Texas officials on Friday denied claims that state law enforcement prevented Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from rescuing three migrants who drowned in the Rio Grande, and the state and federal government over border control disputed the matter. The continuing legal battle between the governments has become even more intense.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Saturday that the National Guard “did not allow Border Patrol agents access to rescue migrants” after the National Guard blocked entry to a city park in Eagle Pass, Texas, this week. announced.
“While responding to a distress call from the Mexican government, Border Patrol agents were physically barred from entering the park by Texas authorities,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “The Texas governor's policies are cruel, dangerous, and inhumane, and his blatant disregard for federal authority over immigrants in Texas poses grave risks.”
The bodies of three drowned migrants, a woman and two children, were recovered by Mexican authorities Friday evening, DHS said.
“This is a tragedy and the nation has a responsibility,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), who was the first to report the death toll. said in a statement on Saturday..
The barricaded section of the Rio Grande includes Shelby Park and its boat launch, which is the main access point to the river from CBP. Hours before the incident, the Justice Department argued in a court filing Friday that blocking federal access to the park could put migrants at risk.
“Because Border Patrol can no longer access or view this border, Texas effectively prevents Border Patrol from monitoring the border and determining whether migrants are in need of emergency assistance.” is written in the application. .
The Texas Military Department (TMD) said in a statement Saturday night that one of its units searched the river after being alerted to the situation by CBP but did not find the migrants. The statement did not address the federal government's claim that Texas authorities “physically prohibited” CBP officers from entering the park.
“During this period, TMD security personnel along the river did not observe any migrants in distress, nor did TMD turn away any illegal migrants from the United States,” the ministry said.
The federal government and the Texas government have been at odds for months over border jurisdiction. The Justice Department last week asked the Supreme Court to rule on the disagreement.
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