The state of Texas has recently deployed military and state police to the city of El Paso, located along the border with Mexico, in an effort to bolster security and show force.
According to a federal law enforcement agent who spoke to The Washington Examiner on Tuesday, Texas National Guard soldiers and military vehicles, as well as Department of Public Safety officers, arrived in El Paso on Monday and were on guard on the south side of downtown by evening.
It is unclear how many soldiers have been deployed, as the Texas Military Department, Department of Public Safety, and Governor Greg Abbott have not responded to requests for comment.
This deployment is part of Governor Abbott’s increased efforts to secure the state’s border with Mexico, as large groups of immigrants have been crossing the border illegally in the area. In the past two weeks, groups of over 1,000 people have been crossing the border at a time in the particular spot where the backup forces have been deployed. In the past week alone, over 10,000 immigrants who crossed the border illegally in El Paso have been released onto the streets, and approximately 13,000 noncitizens have been arrested by federal agents for illegally crossing the border in and around El Paso.
In response to this crisis, Governor Abbott has also sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding that he surge federal personnel to the border. In the letter, Abbott stated, “The need to address this crisis is not the job of border states like Texas. Instead, the U.S. Constitution dictates that it is your job, Mr. President, to defend the borders of our country, regulate our nation’s immigration, and manage those who seek refuge here.” Abbott also expressed concern for the well-being of the migrants, many of whom are at risk of freezing to death on the streets due to the perilous temperatures in the area.
