Texas Governor Greg Abbott is praising state troopers for erecting a temporary barrier to keep people from crossing the Mexican border. The governor told reporters today DPS and the Texas National Guard lined an area near Del Rio with vehicles, essentially sealing it from entry.
Abbott says that "steel barrier" is keeping illegal immigrants from getting into the U.S. DPS says over a million people have been arrested at the border this year.
"The State of Texas is taking unprecedented steps to secure the border, and we will continue to respond in full force to keep Texans safe," said Governor Abbott. "The Biden Administration's failure to enforce immigration laws and halt illegal crossings on a federal dam poses life-threatening risks to Texans and the migrants themselves. Texans ― and all Americans ― demand and deserve a secure southern border and the protection of our nation's sovereignty. I thank the brave men and women of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard for stepping up in the federal government's absence to address this crisis."
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas visited the Del Rio area yesterday after Haitian refugees set up a camp beneath the international bridge last week. The Border Patrol union has blamed the Biden administration's "catch and release" program for encouraging more people to head for the border.