Texas and federal authorities’ struggle over migrant border crossings escalated Wednesday evening when Texas state troopers arrested single men and women at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on criminal trespass charges, according to Chris Olivarez at the Department of Public Safety.
Governor Greg Abbott initiated Operation Lone Star as part of his larger efforts to address what he sees as an illegal immigration crisis at the US-Mexico border.
Border Feud With Biden Admin Intensifies
The federal government is filing suit against Texas to require it to remove an illegal Rio Grande barrier erected by Governor Greg Abbott that violates state law, according to President Barack Obama’s administration. This action marks yet another flashpoint between his Republican measures and those taken by Biden administration officials over aggressive border security measures taken by Greg Abbott and company.
The administration claims that when Texas fenced off Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, it hampered Border Patrol agents’ ability to search and arrest migrants who attempt to illegally cross into the US. Furthermore, officials claim this prevented rescue attempts for migrant children trying to ford the river and could have drowned.
Texas military department spokesman Maj. Gen. Jerry Meyer countered this claim by noting a 2015 agreement between Eagle Pass and Border Patrol guarantees access for federal authorities at the park’s gates, as well as apprehend migrants in that area of Eagle Pass Park seized by Texas, which sits on federal land. Meyer added that some areas Texas has taken over in Eagle Pass Park are actually federal property.
Texas Using State Laws to Arrest Migrants
The Department of Justice filed suit against Texas in relation to its new law, alleging it is unconstitutional. The suit named Governor Greg Abbott and Public Safety Director Steve McCraw as defendants.
The new law empowers state police to arrest migrants who cross illegally across borders, while giving local judges authority to order them out of the country. It is one of the broadest state immigration laws since 2010, when one was struck down largely by the Supreme Court.
Critics argue that the law would lead to racial profiling and could force families apart, according to critics and the ACLU, who asserts that only federal authorities are legally allowed to enforce immigration laws. Recently, The Texas Tribune has reported on troubling developments related to Texas efforts at arresting migrants; such as troopers arresting a father within his own family unit for criminal trespass and taking him away from his children – sign up now for The Brief for more Texas news updates!
Local Officials Support Operation Lone Star
Abbott’s Operation Lone Star utilizes state funds to expand the police and carceral systems in border communities and criminalize migrants for crossing into Texas illegally. Through laws and policies associated with Operation Lone Star, migrants are depicted as dangerous invaders requiring punishment by law enforcement in violation of human rights.
Local officials have joined Abbott in supporting these unlawful policies, using state disaster declarations and executive orders to allow law enforcement officers to arrest individuals accused of immigration-related offenses like criminal trespassing or human smuggling, often without warrants. Many are bused off to Democratic-run cities like Chicago or New York where they await lengthy pretrial detention due to inability to pay bail.
Abbott maintains that Operation Lone Star is making tangible progress despite these unlawful practices, though it remains difficult to assess if its results reflect apprehensions and arrests directly linked to his program, or whether the data cited represents drug seizures across the region as a whole.
The Case of Abdoul
As Washington discusses immigration policy, Texas and federal authorities are engaged in an increasingly heated clash over immigration policy. Texas state authorities have begun arresting migrants who attempt to cross outside ports of entry in Eagle Pass – this action may exacerbate tensions further with federal officials.
Texas Department of Public Safety announced on Wednesday that troopers have begun arresting adult migrants at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass for criminal trespass. These arrests come about thanks to Gov. Greg Abbott signing into law a measure which allows police officers to arrest migrants entering illegally via land other than designated ports of entry.
Migrants arrested before surrendering to Border Patrol can still apply for asylum, though it remains unknown how their arrest will impact future applications. Furthermore, it’s still not clear whether California’s new law, known as SB 4, makes crossing over onto United States property illegal.
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