2024-01-14 04:02:01
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — Three migrants, including two children, drowned while trying to enter the United States near the border town of Eagle Pass, where President Joe Biden’s administration says authorities in Texas has begun denying access to Border Patrol agents, a state congressman said Saturday.
Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar accused state authorities of failing to act amid escalating tensions between Texas and the federal government over immigration enforcement. The Justice Department informed the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday that Texas had taken control of an area known as Shelby Park and was not letting Border Patrol agents enter.
The park is located in Eagle Pass, one of the main crossing points for migrants from Mexico and the center of Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s aggressive attempts to stop illegal crossings, known as Operation Lone Star. Migrants periodically die when swept away by the currents of the Rio Grande, which the United States calls the Rio Grande.
A spokesperson for Abbott referred questions to the Texas Military Department, which has so far not responded to an email sent Saturday seeking comment.
Cuellar, whose district includes the border with Texas, said Mexican authorities alerted the Border Patrol to migrants in distress fighting in the river late Friday. He said federal agents attempted to call and relay the information to members of the Texas National Guard in Shelby Park without success. Agents then went to the park entrance, but were turned away, according to the congressman, who said the agents were informed that a member of the National Guard would be sent to investigate the situation.
“This is a tragedy, and the state is responsible,” read a statement from Cuellar, who is the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection had no immediate comment.
The 50-acre park is owned by the municipal government, but is used by the state Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department to patrol border crossings. Although daily crossings decreased from thousands to about 500, state authorities put up fences and parked military vehicles next to the entrance to deny access to the public and Border Patrol agents this week, according to a court petition filed this week.
Texas filed a response to the court on Saturday refuting claims that Border Patrol agents had been denied access to the park. He argued that the Border Patrol had reduced its presence since the summer, when the state moved its resources and personnel to the park.
He also noted that federal agents were allowed access to the area to guarantee supplies.
Cuellar said that information on the nationality, relationships and age of the victims was not currently available.
Several citizens held a ceremony in the park on Saturday to commemorate the deaths of migrants in their region. Julio Vasquez, a pastor who attended, said they were granted access after making extensive requests to the city and sharing photos showing the entrance still fenced and guarded by members of the National Guard and military vehicles.
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