AUSTIN (KXAN/Nexstar)-- Gov. Greg Abbott revealed the state is deploying more Texas National Guard members to the United States-Mexico border on Monday in anticipation of the expiration of Title 42, a pandemic-era migration policy used to expel migrants.
The governor made the statement during a press conference at the
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport where Texas military aircraft took off to "locations" along the border.
" They will be released to hotspots along the border to intercept, to drive away and to turn back migrants who are trying to get in Texas unlawfully," Abbott said.
The release of the "specifically trained" system comes as state and federal leaders are bracing for a possible influx of migrants when Title 42 restrictions end later this week. Already, border communities like
El Paso have declared a state of emergency in anticipation of a lot more migrants coming.
RELATED: State of Texas: Bracing for completion of Title 42
Title 42 permits Border Patrol agents to expel migrants seeking asylum. It's a public health policy with roots in avoiding the spread of disease. Former President Donald Trump invoked the policy to hinder migration throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once Title 42 ends, Abbott stated the Biden administration approximates around 13,000 people will come throughout the border unlawfully on a daily basis.
Ariel Ruiz Soto, a policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, said that Title 42 was never expected to be a long-lasting option to the intricate concerns surrounding migration and border security.
" It was never implied to be sustainable. It actually does not have the capability and it didn't have the buy-in from the various authorities to attempt to make that case," he stated. "Instead, what really is needed to try to have better control of the U.S. Mexico border is a more comprehensive cooperation, interagency operations…… together at the border to try to process these cases quicker."
The guv's office stated Monday's release of about 450 guard members will be in addition to the "thousands currently deployed as part of Operation Lone Star and serve on the brand-new border force for targeted actions as the country braces for an anticipated spike in illegal migration."
" The Texas Department of Public Safety is increasing resources at the border, and we are deploying hundreds of troopers around the state, including improved tactical teams and field force operations teams, to hold the line," said DPS Director Steven McCraw. "There are 29 locations you can cross into the U.S. lawfully, and our job is to guarantee we hold that line and keep those the only locations these people can cross."
According to the release, after the press conference, two units of hundreds of experienced service members left for the border to
El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. The release stated the same operation is prepared Tuesday, with 2 more elements of hundreds of soldiers deploying to the Rio Grande Valley.
Comments
Leave a Reply