It’s approaching noon in Eagle Pass, Texas.
A standoff between federal authorities and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is coming to a head in the besieged border city, with the Department of Homeland Security demanding access to a park packed with migrants.
Abbott escalated the dispute this week, ordering the Texas National Guard to erect new fencing in and around the area to block entry for border agents and everyone else.
The Department of Homeland Security abandoned the tactic in a court filing Friday, demanding access to the park.
“Because Border Patrol can no longer access or see this stretch of the border, Texas has effectively prevented Border Patrol from monitoring the border to determine whether a migrant requires the emergency assistance it is legally authorized to provide,” the statement states. motion.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas drew attention to the measure this week, telling reporters that he did not receive any advance notice and that he opposed the measure.
“The city of Eagle Pass played no role in the decision to take control of Shelby Park by the state of Texas,” he wrote on Twitter, later adding that he was exploring all available legal options to regain control.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the inauguration was necessary to address the area’s immigration crisis. ADAM DAVIS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The park, which borders the Rio Grande, has been overwhelmed by migrants who have gathered there after crossing the river that separates Mexico and the United States.
In the Del Río sector, where Eagle Pass is located, more than 81,000 immigrants seeking a new life surrendered to US authorities during October and November.
The following month a record was broken on the southern border in terms of migrant encounters, with 302,000 people trying to enter the country according to ABC sources.
An appeals court barred federal authorities from removing the concertina fence erected by Texas authorities in Eagle Pass in a December decision.
On Monday, during a visit to Eagle Pass, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted during a private meeting with border agents that “more than 85%” of migrants detained at the southern border are being released into the United States. , according to Fox News.
Abbott has been increasingly critical of what he has described as the Biden administration’s laxity in stemming the flow of illegal immigrants into the state.
He defended the takeover of the 50-acre tract during an unrelated news conference Friday.
New fence prevents access to Shelby Park. fake images
“Texas has legal authority to control entry into any geographic location in the state of Texas.” Abbott told reporters.
A spokesman for Abbott said Thursday that Texas was being forced to fill a security vacuum created by the White House.
“Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS officers and more barriers, using all tools and strategies to respond to President Biden’s ongoing border crisis,” said Renae Eze.
A spokesman for the Texas National Guard said the annexation was justified given the porosity of the southern border.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas is fighting to regain control of the area. AP
“The Texas National Guard has maintained a presence with security checkpoints and a temporary barrier in Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for future waves of illegal immigrants and restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and at Eagle Pass. area,” a department spokesperson said in an email.
In a December decision, an appeals court barred federal authorities from removing the concertina fence erected by Texas authorities in Eagle Pass.
Friday’s DHS filing stated that the ruling exempted situations in which barriers prevented the provision of “emergency medical aid.”
This week’s fence additions, they argued, violated that aspect of the ruling.
The Department of Homeland Security requires access to the park. AP
Additionally, the barriers isolated border patrol agents from a boat ramp they used to monitor a critical stretch of the Rio Grande.
Abbott’s order demonstrates “an escalation of the State’s actions to block the Border Patrol’s ability to patrol or even monitor the border and be able to respond to emergencies,” the document states.
DHS officials demanded that the court order be lifted to “restore Border Patrol access to the border it is charged with patrolling and to the migrants it is responsible for detaining, inspecting, and processing,” the U.S. attorney general wrote. , Elizabeth Prelogar, in the motion.
A video posted by Salinas showed entrances to the area blocked and military vehicles parked inside to prevent entry.
The mayor said he was not given a timeline for reopening, noting that the closure jeopardized special events and festivals scheduled for the spring at the park.
He was not available for comment Friday.
While illegal crossings into the United States from Mexico dropped to 2,500 on Monday, Eagle Pass has absorbed thousands of migrants in recent months.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn