The White House is accusing Texas Governor Greg Abbott of trying to “politicize the border” after the state took control of a park near the southern border this week, blocking Border Patrol access.
“Governor Abbott continues to engage in extreme political behavior that not only demonizes and dehumanizes people, but also makes it harder and more dangerous for the Border Patrol to carry out its mission,” the spokesperson said. said in a statement Friday.
texas national guard took over Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Thursday, installing razor wire and fencing to cordon off areas along the Rio Grande. Eagle Pass has been one of the busiest crossings for migrants during the three-year border crisis, and Shelby Park has been a key transit point for processing during the state's surge of migrants. It has become.
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Governor Greg Abbott speaks at the signing ceremony for Senate Bill 15 at the Texas State Capitol on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Mikala Compton/American Politician/USA TODAY NETWORK)
“The Texas Department of State Military Affairs said this move is to prepare for the future.” Rapid increase in illegal immigration “Restricting access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigration crossings within the park and greater Eagle Pass area.” Customs and Border Protection later confirmed that access to the area had been blocked. However, the Department of Justice immediately appealed this move to the Supreme Court.
Texas is in a standoff with the federal government over border security, and Texas has announced it will step in to fill the vacuum created by the federal government and its “open borders” policy. The Biden administration has accused Texas of interfering with federal government operations.
The Biden administration was recently blocked by an appeals court from cutting or damaging razor wire installed by the state of Texas, and as a result asked the Supreme Court to intervene. Meanwhile, Texas is suing the state over its recent anti-illegal immigration law, SB4, which allows buoys to be installed along the Rio Grande and the arrest of illegal immigrants by state and local police.
“Leaving immigrants on the side of the road in the dead of winter, installing razor wire to make the Border Patrol’s job more dangerous, pushing extreme and unconstitutional laws like SB4, or “Governor Abbott has repeatedly said, including his recent actions, that he has proven that he is not interested in solutions and is only trying to politicize the border issue,” a White House statement said.
Texas takes control of park as part of fight against illegal immigration, prevents Border Patrol from entering
Migrants wait to be processed at a U.S. Border Patrol transit center after crossing the border from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on December 20, 2023. (John Moore)
“The President has made it clear that our immigration system is broken and requires significant resources and policy change. That's why on his first day in office, he presented Congress with a comprehensive immigration reform plan. To that end, he is working to find a bipartisan agreement with Congress that includes funding and meaningful reforms,'' they added.
Texas, on the other hand, said it supports the policy and intends to continue with it.
“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.
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In a separate Supreme Court petition in response to the Justice Department's motion, Texas also said the Border Patrol had ceased large-scale operations there, after weeks of no large-scale border crossings. He claimed to have left the area abandoned.
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“Leaving this area unattended poses a danger to anyone attempting to climb over obstacles that have been in place for years, and also potentially tampering with Texas equipment stored at the park. Governor Abbott exercised his authority under Texas law to take over the park to ensure the safety of recreational users as well as foreign nationals, and because the state's facilities are intact, the filing states. '' and offered to assist the Border Patrol in recovering equipment and supplies.
Fox News' Bill Melugin and Bill Mears contributed to this report.
