Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said that his state would create a military base near a crucial passage that migrants have used to enter the country. The move came amid an ongoing disagreement between the Lone Star State and the Biden administration about efforts to block illegal immigrants from crossing the Rio Grande.
Abbott said that the state would create a Forward Operating Base on 80 acres of land near Eagle Pass, one of the primary transit points for illegal immigrants. According to the governor, the base would house 1,800 soldiers and could be used to include 500 more.
“Texas is expanding our border security capabilities by building a new Texas Military Department base camp to increase and improve border security operations in this area,” he said. “This will increase the ability for a larger number of Texas Military Department soldiers in Eagle Pass to operate more effectively and efficiently.”
The governor wrote on social media that the base would “improve our ability to swiftly respond to illegal crossings and to build more border barriers that deny illegal entry.”
He cited a recent news article that wrote that the effort was a signal of the state’s “commitment to a security role that previously belonged almost exclusively to the federal government.”
Texas is building a new 80 acre base camp for thousands of Texas National Guard on the border near Eagle Pass.
This will improve our ability to swiftly respond to illegal crossings and to build more border barriers that deny illegal entry.https://t.co/Z8QSopVZ71 pic.twitter.com/zd1QkRkI2P
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 17, 2024
Abbott’s efforts are part of Operation Lone Star, which is intended to prevent illegal crossings and stop the flow of illegal drugs into the state. The governor tied together elements of local and state police, as well as the Texas National Guard. The state announced a number of successes, including returning people who were illegally smuggled into the country.
Furthermore, the state has installed razor wire alongside the Rio Grande to try and stop the flow of migrants. Texas has also installed floating border barriers along the river, sparking a court battle with the federal government.
Texas lawmakers also made entering its territory illegally a state crime, which drew a potential court challenge from the Biden administration.
Abbott has also sent thousands of migrants northward since the current migrant crisis began after President Joe Biden took office in 2021.
