The White House has stood by previous statements about the drownings of three migrants in the Rio Grande, which it initially linked to Texas' closure of the area. Texas accuses the White House of pushing a “sneaky” story that is “completely inaccurate.”
The White House and Department of Homeland Security set their sights on Texas after three migrants, including two children, were killed in the Shelby Park neighborhood of Eagle Pass last week. The state of Texas occupies the area and the administration says it is denying Border Patrol access.
“Tragically, a woman and two children drowned last night in the Shelby Park area of Eagle Pass, which was taken over by the state of Texas earlier this week.” DHS said in a statement: Saturday night.
“While responding to a distress call from the Mexican government, Border Patrol agents were physically barred from entering the area by Texas authorities.”
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President Biden speaks during a meeting of the White House Competition Council at the White House on September 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The statement added that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's policies are “cruel, dangerous, and inhumane, and Texas' blatant disregard for federal authority against immigrants poses grave risks.”
The White House was similarly critical of the death toll Saturday evening.
“A woman and two children drowned near Eagle Pass on Friday night, and Texas authorities blocked U.S. Border Patrol from providing emergency assistance. As we continue to gather facts, one thing is clear: “Political stunts are cruel, inhumane, and dangerous. U.S. Border Patrol must enter the border to enforce the law.”
The Texas Department of Military Affairs later issued a statement saying it had conducted an investigation and calling the White House's statement “completely inaccurate.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a press conference on March 15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“At the time Border Patrol requested access, a drowning had occurred and Mexican authorities were in possession of the body, and Border Patrol communicated these facts to TMD personnel on scene,” the report said. Ta.
And in a court filing this week as part of an ongoing lawsuit, the Justice Department said Mexican authorities notified Border Patrol agents at 9 p.m. local time that the migrants had drowned at 8 p.m. However, he added that there was an illegal act. Two more migrants are “stranded” on the U.S. side of the border.
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The application reiterates the claim that Border Patrol agents were not allowed to enter the area “even in the event of an emergency.” Two more migrants suffered from hypothermia but were later rescued by Mexican authorities.
The Justice Department suggested that the migrants could have been found if they had access to the area.
National Guard soldiers stand guard on the banks of the Rio Grande at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, on January 12, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“It is impossible to say what would have happened if the Border Patrol had accessed the area, including through surveillance trucks that previously supported surveillance of the area,” the agency said. “But at least the Border Patrol should have had the opportunity to fulfill its responsibility and do everything possible to assist their Mexican government counterparts in carrying out their rescue mission. Texas made that impossible.”
The filing immediately prompted accusations from Texas that the Biden administration had wrongly placed the blame for the deaths on the state. However, the White House denied that.
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“They drowned near Eagle Pass…and Texas authorities blocked Border Patrol from entering the area,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a White House press briefing on Wednesday. That's what happened.''
“Our statements are consistent with the Department of Justice’s filings,” she said. “As stated in the Justice Department filing, there was an ongoing emergency situation that prevented Border Patrol access. There were other migrants in the waters as well.”
This assessment was shared by a DHS spokesperson.
“This filing confirms what we said over the weekend: Texas' blatant disregard for federal authority over immigrants poses grave risks, and that Texas is a country where the Border Patrol has no right to comply with U.S. law,” the spokesperson said. We must stop interfering with enforcement.”
But Texas also fought back. Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the administration of pushing a debunked narrative.
“Your attempt to blame the state of Texas for the deaths of three immigrants on January 12, 2024 is despicable and, as you are now aware, completely inaccurate,” he wrote in a letter to DHS. ”.
He later reiterated TMD's point that investigators did not request access based on a medical emergency and that investigators had already informed the state of Texas that Mexico had recovered the body. , the state of Texas said it had “vigorously searched” the area and confirmed that a Mexican man's body had been found. Officials recovered the body.
“Texas has not seen, and you have not cited any evidence, that the drowning migrants actually reached Texas shores,” he added.
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“Biden was clearly wrong to blame Texas for the Rio Grande deaths,” Abbott said on X (formerly Twitter). “As a federal judge has already ruled, Biden and the Department of Homeland Security are 'creating perverse incentives' for migrants to make dangerous illegal crossings. Biden is responsible for the drownings.”
FOX News' Bill Melgin contributed to this report.
