The Texas National Guard has seized control of city property in a key border crossing point and is restricting Border Patrol from accessing the area, the Texas Military Department said in a statement.
“The Texas Military Department confirms the TX National Guard has seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass (city property where mass illegal crossings are), and is restricting Border Patrol from accessing the area, saying the Feds “perpetuate illegal crossings”, Fox News reporter Bill Melugin tweeted on Thursday.
“This is the area where Border Patrol has been cutting TX razor wire. Razor wire and fences are now deployed to block the area off from the public and federal government”, Melugin continued.
“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,” the Texas Military Department told Fox News.
Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said that Abbott will use every tool available to combat President Biden’s border crisis.
“Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS troopers, and more barriers, utilizing every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden’s ongoing border crisis,” Eze told the New York Post.
The decision was welcomed by the Border Patrol Union that said “Governor Abbott is not harming Border Patrol operations, he is enhancing them. His seizing control of Shelby Park allows our agents to deploy to troubled spots that experience high numbers of gotaways. Governor Abbott’s actions should be seen as a force multiplier.”
In December, Abbott signed a law making illegal entry into Texas a state crime. The decision allows authorities to arrest illegal immigrants and for state judges to order their deportation.
Texas has also been in a dispute with the federal government over the installation of a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande River, as well as razor wire along the shore. In December, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling requiring Texas to remove the barrier.