Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took control of a public park in a border city plagued by illegal immigration without warning Wednesday, its mayor claimed Thursday.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas said the state seized Shelby Park, erecting a fence to keep citizens — and even federal border agents — out without notice as part of Abbott’s emergency declaration to combat the immigration crisis.
Shelby Park, which borders the Rio Grande, has been flooded with immigrants crossing into Texas through the treacherous river.
“That’s not a decision we agree with,” Salinas said in an impassioned speech Thursday.
“This is not something we want. This is not something we asked for as a city.”
Wednesday night, a fence had blocked the entrance and a military truck was parked inside, Salinas shared a video.
According to Salinas, the Texas Department of Public Safety told Eagle Pass officials that the state was seizing the 50-acre public park through a disaster declaration, a power Texas officials have previously used at the border.
In addition to reportedly not offering a timetable, the state has not disclosed how long it expects to retain control of the park — meaning that many events and festivals planned for the spring could be canceled.
Shelby Park touches the Rio Grande, where thousands of migrants swim from Mexico to the US every month. AFP via Getty Images
“They will deny access,” Salinas said. “Again, this is not the city of Eagle Pass denying access to the park. This is the state that used the emergency declaration.”
The sudden restrictions have even been extended to US Border Patrol agents, insiders told CBS News.
Texas National Guard units prevented border agents from patrolling Shelby Park, which has been used in recent weeks to hold migrants in an outdoor staging area before they are transported for further processing.
“They’re denying Border Patrol agents entry to do our job,” the official told the outlet, adding that they’re not sure “(Texas officials’) authority over the federal government.”
An Abbott spokesman did not respond to questions about whether the notice was sent without prior warning.
“Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard troops, DPS troopers, and more obstacles, using every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden’s ongoing border crisis,” spokeswoman Renae Eze said in a statement.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas claimed the state did not give advance warning before taking control of the 50-acre public park. AP
The Department of Public Safety referred questions to the Texas Department of the Army, which also could not answer how much notice the city of Eagle Pass gave.
“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.
A message left for Salinas was not immediately returned.
The mayor said he was looking at every legal avenue to oppose the takeover.
In addition to being furious with the state’s takeover of urban land, Salinas questioned why the move came after illegal crossings were dropped this week as Mexico stepped up security and migrant deportations.
The closure comes as part of Abbott’s emergency declaration to combat the migrant crisis. James Keivom
Arrests for illegal crossings into the US from Mexico fell to about 2,500 on Monday, down from more than 10,000 on several days in December, according to US authorities.
Daily concerns amount to around 400 to 500, Salinas claims.
Just last month, however, Eagle Pass became a hub for illegal immigration and saw thousands cross the border throughout the summer.
The surge prompted Abbott to renew an emergency declaration that “the surge of individuals illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border poses a continuing and imminent threat of disaster.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
