More On: Abbott
In the Texas governor's race, Beto O'Rourke and Greg Abbott fight over the border crisis and migrant buses to New York City
After 50 dead migrants were found in a truck, White House insists : 'The border is closed'
The number of people who died in the Texas migrant tragedy has risen to 50, and Gov. Abbott blames the president's deadly open border policies: 'These deaths are on Biden'
Abbott sends an armed National Guard to the border to apprehend illegal immigrants who have trespassed.
Governor Greg Abbott announced Texas Ends Mask Mandate, Businesses Open 100 Percen
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has given the go-ahead for tens of thousands of specially trained National Guard troops to deploy to the southern US border and begin arresting illegal aliens trespassing in the state.
Abbott is using Operation Lone Star to give Guard members new authority to make civilian arrests of illegal migrants beginning this week, following at least "40 hours of traditional police training in the use of deadly force," as part of a new deterrence strategy to combat the long-term effects of Biden's border crisis.
Approximately 3,000 of these professionally trained National Guard personnel are expected to go to the border over the next six weeks, according to Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw, who spoke with Todd Bensman of the Center for Immigration Studies.
“Nobody’s ever really used the guard before in this capacity,” McCraw said. “We’re going to use them to actually secure the border. The governor, the legislature, and the citizens of Texas have made it very clear; they want the border secure. It is good for our federal partner as well. The federal government should be thanking the state of Texas, and it’ll make the rest of the country safer as we increase the level of security.”
The newly-armed Guard will largely assist Texas Department of Public Safety police in overburdened regions such as Del Rio, Texas, in arresting, handcuffing, and charging individual male illegal aliens who are attempting to enter the United States by crossing private ranchland.
“[Ranchland] owners have all entered into state agreements to become complainants in misdemeanor-level criminal trespassing cases that DPS officers will charge (and have been charging since July),” Bensman reported. “The so-called single male ‘runners’ run because they are still subject to federal instant expulsion policy to control the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Women, unaccompanied children, and family groups will not be arrested by the state.
Since the beginning of the fiscal year in October 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has encountered more than 1.5 million illegal aliens at the Southwest land border, according to official CBP data, including more than 200,000 migrant encounters in both July and August. The Washington Post reported yesterday that according to unpublished CBP data obtained by the outlet, border arrests hit an all-time high as “U.S. authorities detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the Mexico border.”
Abbott signaled earlier this month that the Texas National Guard was “gearing up” to handle the increasing number of illegal aliens making their way across the border using caravans.
“Texas National Guard is gearing up at the border for increased caravans attempting to cross the border caused by Biden’s open border policy,” Abbott tweeted. “They are working with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety to seal surge locations at the border & arrest trespassers.”
Texas National Guard is gearing up at the border for increased caravans attempting to cross the border caused by Biden’s open border policy.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 2, 2021
They are working with the Texas Dept. of Public Safety to seal surge locations at the border & arrest trespassers.
@TexasGuard pic.twitter.com/VAKGoHak0G
He also noted the transport of tactical vehicles to the border at the end of September.
Texas National Guard surge transports tactical vehicles to the border.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 28, 2021
The @TexasGuard continues to surge equipment & personnel to the Texas border to provide more support to address Biden's ongoing crisis.
Texas is securing the border. pic.twitter.com/dZ4O6sXTEG
