The Texas Department of Public Safety announced on Wednesday that it has begun arresting illegal aliens for criminal trespass at Eagle Pass in the city park in which the state recently kicked out the Border Patrol and seized control of.
Texas defied a Biden Department of Justice deadline to allow Border Patrol back into Shelby Park.
Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson with the Texas Department of Public Safety, posted on X:
Under the authority of Gov. @GregAbbott_TX’s Border Disaster Declaration, @TxDPS Troopers are arresting illegal immigrants for criminal trespass at #ShelbyPark in Eagle Pass. Troopers are enforcing criminal trespass on single adult men & women. The State of #Texas will maintain a… pic.twitter.com/EuRhYDNYLH
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) January 18, 2024
The Texas National Guard took control of Shelby Park last week and set up razor wire and fences to block off the area.
National Border Patrol Council Brandon Judd said in a statement at the time, "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."
Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General is demanding the Biden Administration correct the record after falsely stating illegal immigrant drownings were caused by Texas’s border policies.
Biden's Department of Homeland Security and the White House falsely claimed that the drowning deaths of illegals, including two children, could have been prevented if Border Patrol had access to the area where the state had taken charge.
It was later revealed that at the time the Border Patrol asked for access, the deaths had already occurred.
"When you accuse somebody of being a part, causing the deaths of migrants, you oughta have your facts straight and if you don’t then you need to correct those facts so that the American people know that you got it wrong," Paxton said.
On Saturday, after the deaths were revealed, DHS released a statement fully blaming Texas for the drownings of the illegal immigrants in the Rio Grande.
"Tragically, a woman and two children drowned last night in the Shelby Park area of Eagle Pass," DHS said, "which was commandeered by the State of Texas earlier this week. In responding to a distress call from the Mexican government, Border Patrol agents were physically barred by Texas officials from entering the area. The Texas governor’s policies are cruel, dangerous, and inhumane, and Texas’s blatant disregard for federal authority over immigration poses grave risks. The State of Texas should stop interfering with the U.S. Border Patrol’s enforcement of U.S. law."
Texas released its own statement from the Texas Military Department (TMD), saying that "at no time did TMD security personnel along the river observe any distressed migrants, nor did TMD turn back any illegal immigrants from the U.S. during this period. Also, at no point was TMD made aware of any bodies in the area of Shelby Park nor was TMD made aware of any bodies being discovered on the U.S. side of the border regarding this situation. TMD maintains water rescue equipment and actively works with local EMS to aid migrants in need of medical care.”
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