It’s approaching Noon in Eagle Pass, Texas.
A standoff between federal authorities and Texas Governor Greg Abbott has escalated in the beleaguered border town, with the Department of Homeland Security demanding access to a park full of immigrants.
Abbott escalated the conflict this week, ordering the Texas National Guard to erect new fences in and around the area to keep border agents and everyone else from entering.
The Department of Homeland Security tore up the dispute in a court filing Friday, demanding access to the park.
“Because the border patrol can no longer access or view these border areas, Texas has effectively prevented the border patrol from monitoring the border to determine whether immigrants are in need of emergency assistance that they are legally authorized to provide,” the motion said.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas called attention to the measure this week, telling reporters that he had no advance notice and opposed the measure.
“The City of Eagle Pass played no role in the decision to acquire Shelby Park by the State of Texas,” he wrote on Twitter, adding later that he was exploring all legal options available to him to regain control.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the acquisition was necessary to address the region’s immigration crisis. ADAM DAVIS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The park, which borders the Rio Grande, has been overrun by migrants who have gathered there after crossing the river that separates Mexico and the US.
The Del Rio sector, where Eagle Pass is located, saw more than 81,000 migrants seeking a new life surrender themselves to US authorities in October and November.
The following month a record was set across the southern border for migrant encounters, with 302,000 people trying to enter the country according to ABC sources.
An appeals court blocked federal authorities from removing a concertina fence erected by Texas authorities at Eagle Pass in a December ruling.
On Monday, during a visit to Eagle Pass, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged during a private meeting with border agents that “more than 85%” of immigrants detained at the southern border are released to the US, according to Fox News.
Abbott has increasingly criticized what he described as the Biden administration’s laxity in curbing illegal immigration into the state.
He defended the acquisition of the 50-acre site during an unrelated press conference on Friday.
A new fence blocks access to Shelby Park. Getty Images
“Texas has the legal authority to control entry to any geographic location in the state of Texas.” Abbott told reporters.
Abbott’s spokesman said Thursday that Texas had to fill the security vacuum created by the White House.
“Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS soldiers, and more obstacles, using every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden’s ongoing border crisis,” said Renae Eze.
A spokesman for the Texas National Guard spokeswoman 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 points and temporary barriers at Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for a future surge in illegal immigration and to restrict access to organizations that maintain illegal immigration crossings in the park and Eagle Pass that larger area,” the department’s spokesperson said in an email.
In a December ruling, an appeals court blocked federal authorities from removing a concertina fence erected by Texas authorities at Eagle Pass.
The DHS filing on Friday emphasized that the ruling excludes situations where an obstruction prevents the provision of “emergency medical assistance.”
This week’s addition of the fence, they argued, violated that aspect of the ruling.
The Department of Homeland Security demanded access to the park. AP
In addition, the barrier cut off border patrol agents from the boat ramps they use to monitor critical areas on the Rio Grande.
Abbott’s order represents “increased State measures to impede the Border Patrol’s ability to patrol or even to monitor the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies,” the filing said.
DHS officials are demanding that the injunction be lifted to “restore the Border Patrol’s access to the borders it is tasked to patrol and the immigrants it is responsible for apprehending, examining and processing,” Attorney General Elizabeth Prelogar wrote in the motion.
A video posted by Salinas showed the entrance to the compound blocked and military vehicles stationed inside to prevent entry.
The mayor said he has not been given a timetable for reopening, noting that the closure jeopardizes special events and celebrations scheduled to take place at the park in the spring.
He was unavailable for comment Friday.
Although illegal crossings into the US from Mexico dropped to 2,500 Monday, Eagle Pass has absorbed thousands of migrants in recent months.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
