Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who returned from the southern border, pointed to the sharp change in migrant traffic in the Eagle Pass area and supported Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts to secure the Texas border. There is.
Blackburn on Tuesday visited the Eagle Pass border, which he previously visited in January 2023, but said the area was “overrun” and the Shelby Park area was occupied by Border Patrol agents. He said it was remarkable. Can be used as a staging area.
She cited moves made by Mr. Abbott, including additional border barriers, a surge in resources and a controversial new anti-illegal immigration law.
How Eagle Pass became central to Abbott’s efforts to secure the border
“And if you look at it today, they’ve put buoys in the river, they’ve put containers on the water’s edge. There’s fences and razor wire, and we’re seeing how effective that is and helping bring down the numbers. I did,” she said in an interview with FOX News Digital.
“I think it’s great that the state of Texas has made strides by spending billions of dollars to secure our borders, and that now means some illegal immigrants are going to Arizona, New Mexico, California and trying to find their destination. That’s why you see yourself trying to achieve.” Find another path. But they don’t go to Eagle Pass, Texas. ”
Blackburn said there were only about a dozen people trying to cross the river, compared to hundreds of people lining the river last year. She also praised Texas authorities’ efforts to interdict drugs such as fentanyl.
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Texas and the Biden administration have been at odds over how to handle border security since the crisis began. Mr. Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021 to send resources and personnel to the border after what he claimed was a lack of action by the Biden administration to address the crisis that was surging at the time.
The Abbott administration began building a border wall, erected razor wire along the Rio Grande, installed floating buoys in the river, and deployed the National Guard. In December, Mr. Abbott signed the Combating Illegal Immigration Act, which authorizes police to: arrest illegal immigrants The judge then orders them to be deported.
The bill is currently on hold after being blocked by a court order, which the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals continued late Tuesday.
Texas Biden faces standoff over anti-illegal immigration law as migrants flood border: What you need to know
Mr. Blackburn has two pieces of legislation that he believes will help solve the border crisis. The CLEAR Act requires ICE to arrest illegal aliens who have committed a crime within 48 hours of being notified by authorities and reimburse them for the costs of their arrest and detention. The Container Act would allow states to build their own border fences in lieu of federal action.
Blackburn told Fox News Digital that Texas’ example is a sign that barriers are working and that other states should follow Texas’ example.
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“They need to listen to Border Patrol. The cartels have better technology, so they need physical barriers and better technology, and then more police officers and agents. “We need it,” she said. “It’s simple in a way. Walls and barriers actually work. And we’re seeing that in Texas.”
