To deter American immigrants from crossing the Rio Grande, Texas National Guard members set up concertina wire barriers and stationed themselves and their military vehicles there on Tuesday. The wire and armed Guard members prevented them from reaching the U.S. even though they managed to cross the river.
New Immigration Law
According to the Texas Military Department, El Paso troops erect concertina barriers to fend off and turn away migrants. Along the border, more than a dozen military and state police vehicles could be seen, and Guard members could be heard ordering migrants to go to a port of entry, a source posted.
Despite this week’s below-freezing temperatures, groups of men, women, and children attempted to cross the border, many of them in skimpy clothes. Guardsmen told the migrants to stop crossing because they were not doing so at an authorized entry point. Instead, they were separated from the migrants by concertina wire. The migrants remained in place on Tuesday despite the new barrier. By late afternoon, smaller groups had grown to 200 to 300 people.
By Wednesday, a judge had ordered the Biden administration to stop applying the pandemic-era law introduced by former President Donald Trump and resume using immigration law. However, following a challenge from 19 GOP officials on Monday, Supreme Court Justice John Roberts temporarily halted the judge’s order.
Governor Abbot Demands Investigation
Governor Greg Abbott demanded an investigation into the potential involvement of non-governmental organizations in organizing and supporting unauthorized border crossings into Texas. In light of the impending end of Title 42 and the record-high number of illegal border crossings along the Texas-Mexico border, the governor emphasizes the necessity of Texas’ vigilant response to President Biden’s border crisis.
In response to the federal government’s inaction, Governor Abbott has taken unprecedented measures to secure the border. The end of Title 42 is anticipated to result in a dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrants entering the United States beyond the already reported all-time high levels.
