Editor note: Law Enforcement Today reached out to sources in the National Border Patrol Council as well as to active Border Patrol agents. The concensus was unanimous: not only does Texas have every right to do it, but they are grateful for it and consider it a "force multiplier" given Biden effectively handcuffing federal agents and opening our borders.
EAGLE PASS, TX— The Texas National Guard has denied the U.S. Border Patrol access to the riverside park that lines the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, TX where many illegal immigrants cross the river in a bid to criminally enter the United States.
As reported by CBS News, Texas National Guard units on the order of Governor Greg Abbott seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass preventing ICE and Border Patrol agents from entering the area according to federal officials. The Border Patrol had recently used the park to hold illegal immigrants in a staging area before transporting them for processing.
That was until Thursday, when Texas authorities turned away Border Patrol boats from patrolling that area of the river a federal official told reporters anonymously.
The official told reporters, "They are denying entry to Border Patrol agents to conduct our duties." They added they're not certain "what authority (Texas officials) have over the federal government."
Bill Melugin of Fox News reported via X that the Texas Military Department, which commands the National and State Guards, confirmed the seizure of the park in Eagle Pass and is restricting the Border Patrol from accessing the area. The Department stated that Federal Agents "perpetuate illegal crossings."
Melugin wrote that this was the area in which Border Patrol has been cutting removing razor wire put in place by Texas officials. New razor wire and fences have now been deployed in the park closing it off to the public and federal officials.
The Texas Military Department reportedly issued a statement saying, "The Texas National Guard has maintained a presence with security points and temporary barrier in Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area."
According to an overnight DOJ filing shared by Melugin, the Biden Department of Justice told the Federal Court that The Texas National Guard "has deployed armed soldiers and vehicles to block federal gov from accessing the river," informing the agents that they will not be permitted to enter the park "in any operational capacity."
In the filing, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar called upon the Supreme Court to order an injunction against Texas writing, "Texas’s new actions since the government’s filing demonstrate an escalation of the State’s measures to block Border Patrol’s ability to patrol or even to surveil the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies.
Those actions have also changed the situation on the ground from the account in prior filings in this Court, including Texas’s opposition. Those developments reinforce the need for this Court to vacate the court of appeals’ injunction, and to do so as soon as possible."
In posts to X responding to coverage of the incident, Abbott wrote, "As caravans of migrants are moving through Mexico toward the U.S. border, we are making clear that Texas will be a tough place to cross."
EAGLE PASS, TX— The Texas National Guard has denied the U.S. Border Patrol access to the riverside park that lines the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, TX where many illegal immigrants cross the river in a bid to criminally enter the United States.
As reported by CBS News, Texas National Guard units on the order of Governor Greg Abbott seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass preventing ICE and Border Patrol agents from entering the area according to federal officials. The Border Patrol had recently used the park to hold illegal immigrants in a staging area before transporting them for processing.
That was until Thursday, when Texas authorities turned away Border Patrol boats from patrolling that area of the river a federal official told reporters anonymously.
The official told reporters, "They are denying entry to Border Patrol agents to conduct our duties." They added they're not certain "what authority (Texas officials) have over the federal government."
Bill Melugin of Fox News reported via X that the Texas Military Department, which commands the National and State Guards, confirmed the seizure of the park in Eagle Pass and is restricting the Border Patrol from accessing the area. The Department stated that Federal Agents "perpetuate illegal crossings."
Melugin wrote that this was the area in which Border Patrol has been cutting removing razor wire put in place by Texas officials. New razor wire and fences have now been deployed in the park closing it off to the public and federal officials.
The Texas Military Department reportedly issued a statement saying, "The Texas National Guard has maintained a presence with security points and temporary barrier in Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area."
According to an overnight DOJ filing shared by Melugin, the Biden Department of Justice told the Federal Court that The Texas National Guard "has deployed armed soldiers and vehicles to block federal gov from accessing the river," informing the agents that they will not be permitted to enter the park "in any operational capacity."
In the filing, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar called upon the Supreme Court to order an injunction against Texas writing, "Texas’s new actions since the government’s filing demonstrate an escalation of the State’s measures to block Border Patrol’s ability to patrol or even to surveil the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies.
Those actions have also changed the situation on the ground from the account in prior filings in this Court, including Texas’s opposition. Those developments reinforce the need for this Court to vacate the court of appeals’ injunction, and to do so as soon as possible."
In posts to X responding to coverage of the incident, Abbott wrote, "As caravans of migrants are moving through Mexico toward the U.S. border, we are making clear that Texas will be a tough place to cross."
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The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
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