(ConservativeHub.com) – Texas Authorities have responded to accusations that they kept Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers from saving three immigrants who ended up drowning in the Rio Grande on January 12. According to a report from The Hill, the case is the latest clash between Texas and the feds over the border.
After reports that the migrants drowned, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued that the state National Guard had not given Border Patrol agents access in order to help the individuals. This claim was made after the guard reportedly blocked the agents from accessing a city part of Eagle Pass, Texas. In a statement, the DHS argued that while responding to distress call from the Mexican government, the Border Patrol agents were stopped from accessing the park. The statement added that the policies followed by the Texas governor are dangerous and cruel and that the disregard for federal authority over immigration could pose big risks.
The DHS noted that on January 12, the Mexican authorities had recovered the bodies of the three migrants, two of whom were children.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) posted his statement about the incident on social media, referring to it as a “tragedy” and saying that the state was responsible for the event.
The Department of Justice fought in court against the barricades in sections of the Rio Grande which they claimed blocked federal access to Shelby Park which could endanger migrants. The filing said that as Border Patrol was no longer capable of accessing this part of the border, Texas had effectively blocked Border Patrol from monitoring the border to decide whether or not a migrant requires emergency aid.
The Texas Military Department responded to the accusations by saying that upon searching the river, they didn’t find any trace of the migrants federal authorities notified them of. They reportedly did not confirm or deny physically blocking federal authorities from the park.
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