Photo: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP / Getty Images
The Department of Justice said that Texas is blocking Border Patrol agents from accessing a 2.5-mile stretch of the southern border with Mexico. On Wednesday (January 10), troops with the Texas National Guard began installing concertina wire and fencing to block public access to Shelby Park in Eagle Pass.
When Border Patrol agents tried to access the 47-acre park to use a boat ramp, they were turned away by members of the National Guard. They were also told they would not be permitted to detain migrants illegally crossing the border and that Texas officials would not turn over any migrants they've detained.
The Justice Department said the actions by Texas officials undermine the Border Patrol and make it nearly impossible for them to do their job.
"Texas's new actions since the government's filing demonstrate an escalation of the State's measures to block Border Patrol's ability to patrol or even to surveil the border and be in a position to respond to emergencies," Elizabeth B. Prelogar, the DOJ's solicitor general, wrote in the filing to the Supreme Court.
A spokesperson for Texas Governor Greg Abbott defended the decision to block off Shelby Park.
"Texas is holding the line at our southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti-climb barriers to deter and repel the record-high levels of illegal immigration invited by President Biden's reckless open border policies. Instead of enforcing federal immigration laws, the Biden Administration allows unfettered access for Mexican cartels to smuggle people into our country," spokesperson Renae Eze said.