Some residents of border town Eagle Pass, Texas, said it has come to feel as if their own town is under siege, with state troopers stationed along the riverbanks warning those trying to cross to turn back.
Migrants in the Rio Grande by a string of buoys intended to deter river crossing, in Eagle Pass, Texas, Aug. 8, 2023.
The escalated tactics under what the state has called a “hold the line” operation has even drawn some criticism from within the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Border Patrol. The department argued that a significant portion of the buoy barrier was located in Mexican territory. A survey by the International Boundary and Water Commission found that about 787 out of the 1,000 feet rested on the Mexican side, and the Mexican government had objected to the barrier.
In a letter to President Joe Biden in July, Abbott said his officers were protecting against the threat of illegal drugs, human trafficking and cartel violence on the border, as well as ensuring that migrants cross more safely. “Your open-border policies encourage migrants to risk their lives by crossing illegally through the water, instead of safely and legally at a port of entry,” he wrote.Lt.
“I want to be clear that we support the aspect that we need to have some kind of border control. But they have taken over this whole area,” he said. “What he likes to do is scare Texans that there’s a bunch of people coming across the river coming here to harm you,” Castro said.Salinas, the mayor of Eagle Pass, who once publicly proclaimed his support for Operation Lone Star and still supports an increased law enforcement presence at the border, said he had soured on the more aggressive tactics lately on display.
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