Assets of the state of Texas took over a property used by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) this week, creating a tense standoff between Austin and Washington D.C. Texas has attempted to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into the state but has faced stiff pushback from the Biden administration.
The Texas National Guard took control over a publicly-owned golf course at a border crossing along the Rio Grande. The National Guard troops ordered the Border Patrol agents to leave. The National Guard then took control of the post.
A Border Patrol official said that the move “only serves to raise tensions at the ground level between the state and Border Patrol agents who are bound by policy set in Washington D.C.”
.@JoeBiden has allowed seven to 10 MILLION people to come across our southern border, that's importing a whole new state.
Arizona is feeling the strain, and so is Texas.
If the federal government isn't going to enforce the law, then the states have to do it themselves. pic.twitter.com/eCutlWYvXx
— Abe Hamadeh (@AbrahamHamadeh) January 13, 2024
The Texas Military Department said that its “current posture is to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area.”
On Friday, Texas National Guard soldiers stopped several migrants attempting to cross into the country near the park.
The current standoff comes as Texas has attempted to secure its border with Mexico. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the launch of Operation Lone Star, which uses the state’s National Guard and police assets.
The effort has stopped numerous human trafficking operations and seized drugs intended for sale.
Despite this, Texas is currently facing several lawsuits from Washington over the policies. The state is being sued over a new law that makes illegal entry into Texas a state crime. The state also constructed a floating border barrier along the Rio Grande which was ordered dismantled by a court decision.
The seizure of the golf course was part of Operation Lone Star.
The decision also came as the number of migrants attempting to cross the border reached an all-time high last month.
Texas has also been sending migrants northward to self-declared sanctuary locations.
