Standoff at Eagle Pass

Last updated

Standoff at Eagle Pass
Part of Operation Lone Star
Maverick County EaglePass.svg
Location of Eagle Pass, Texas, within Maverick County
DateJanuary 11, 2024 (2024-01-11) – present
Location
Shelby Park, Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S.

28°42′29″N100°30′33″W / 28.7080°N 100.5092°W / 28.7080; -100.5092
Caused by Political polarization in the United States; Mexico–United States border crisis
StatusOngoing
Parties
Lead figures

On January 11, 2024, the Texas National Guard took control of Shelby Park, a 47-acre (19 ha) area of parkland in the town of Eagle Pass, along the Rio Grande river, which separates the United States from Mexico, after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an emergency declaration to close the park. In his declaration, Abbott cited the Mexico–United States border crisis and the need to secure the border. The Texas National Guard blocked U.S. Border Patrol agents from patrolling the area, which the Border Patrol had been using to hold migrants in recent weeks. [1] [2]

Contents

A base, entitled 'Forward Operating Eagle', has begun being constructed at Eagle Pass, and can house up to 2,300 soldiers. [3] The standoff is part of ongoing litigation between the United States and Texas. [4] [ failed verification ]

Standoff

After the closure, three migrants were found drowned in the Rio Grande. Mexican authorities subsequently identified them as a 33-year-old woman and her two children, aged 10 and 8. The U.S. Border Patrol said it had alerted the Texas National Guard that a group of migrants were in distress in the waters outside the boat ramp in Shelby Park but that the National Guard took no action to rescue them. Texas lawyers responded that the National Guard was alerted only after the three had drowned, and that the National Guard had not spotted any migrants. Mexican authorities said that the boat never entered U.S. territory. [5] [6]

On January 22, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an order to vacate an injunction by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting concertina wire, which the National Guard had been using to make a fence in Shelby Park. The ruling concerned an earlier dispute and did not address Texas deploying razor wire or blocking federal officials from the park. [7] [8] On January 24, Abbott responded that Texas would refuse to let federal authorities access the park, vowing to "protect the sovereignty of our state". [9] [7] [10] A military standoff between state and federal authorities over immigration is unique in modern American history; constitutional law professor Charles "Rocky" Rhodes and an editorial in the San Antonio Express-News said it may signal the start of a constitutional crisis. [11] [12] [13]

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision, 25 other Republican state governors (every Republican governor but Vermont's Phil Scott) announced their support for Texas in the dispute, as did U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson. [14] [15] Florida Governor Ron DeSantis additionally committed to sending more resources after previously sending the Florida National Guard to reinforce the Texas government. [11] Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt pledged to deploy the Oklahoma National Guard to support Texas, and Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced that 50 Indiana National Guardsmen would arrive in Texas by mid-March. [16] [17] In Missouri, Governor Mike Parson issued an executive order to deploy up to 200 Missouri National Guard troops to Texas, as well as 22 state troopers "on a voluntary basis". [18] Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that approximately 40 Arkansas National Guard members would be deployed in Texas from April 1 through May 30. [19] Other state and national Republican officials backed Texas. [20]

On January 23, the Department of Homeland Security issued Texas attorney general Ken Paxton an ultimatum, ordering the removal of "obstructions" along the border and that the Border Patrol be given full access to Shelby Park by January 26. [21] On January 24, Democratic Texas representatives Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar called for U.S. President Joe Biden to establish federal control over the Texas National Guard. [22] On January 26, the deadline set by Department of Homeland Security passed. It had ordered Texas to agree to fully reopen disputed parts of the Shelby Park area to federal Border Patrol agents, emphasizing the need for confirmation and specifying the consequences of partial denial in a letter from DHS General Counsel Jonathan Meyer to Attorney General Paxton.

On January 29, more than two dozen Republican state attorneys general, and leadership from the Republican-controlled Arizona State Legislature, signed a letter supporting Texas in its border security efforts, addressing President Biden and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, emphasizing the importance of upholding the nation's laws and commending Abbott's and Paxton's work in securing the border against what they called the "invasion, encouraged by Biden's refusal to follow federal statutory law". [23] [24]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelby Park (Eagle Pass)</span> Park in Maverick County, Texas

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References

  1. ↑ Montoya-Galvez, Camilo (January 12, 2024). "Texas blocks federal border agents from processing migrants in Eagle Pass public park". CBS News . Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  2. ↑ García, Uriel J. (January 11, 2024). "Texas officers take "full control" of Eagle Pass park against city's wishes". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Texas Building Military 'Base Camp' At Eagle Pass Amid Showdown With Border Patrol". Forbes. February 16, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Supreme Court of the United States".
  5. ↑ Cuevas, Eduardo (January 20, 2024). "Mexican family's death at border looms over ongoing Justice Department standoff with Texas". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ Flores, Rosa; Yan, Holly; Weisfeldt, Sara; Cole, Devan (January 15, 2024). "What we know about the drownings of 3 Mexican migrants near Eagle Pass, Texas". CNN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  7. 1 2 García, Uriel J.; Winkie, Davis (January 24, 2024). "Texas' border standoff with feds continues, despite U.S. Supreme Court order". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  8. ↑ Fanning, Rhonda; Brown, David (January 25, 2024). "Understanding the Supreme Court's ruling on razor wire at the Texas-Mexico border". Texas Public Radio. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ Melhado, William (January 22, 2024). "U.S. Supreme Court says Texas can't block federal agents from the border". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  10. ↑ Hall, Richard; Baio, Ariana (January 24, 2024). "Texas National Guard faces off against federal government in fight over razor wire". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  11. 1 2 García, Uriel J. (January 22, 2024). "In Eagle Pass, a tense border standoff between Texas and the federal government is reaching a crescendo". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ Schneider, Andrew (January 24, 2024). "Governor Abbott signals potential defiance of Supreme Court's border ruling". Houston Public Media . Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  13. ↑ Express-News Editorial Board (January 18, 2024). "Editorial: Are Abbott and Paxton creating a constitutional crisis at border?". San Antonio Express-News . Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Gov. Little, Republican Governors band together, issue joint statement supporting Texas' Constitutional Right to Self-Defense". Office of the Governor. January 25, 2024. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  15. ↑ Beitsch, Rebecca (January 25, 2024). "Speaker Johnson backs Abbott's border 'invasion' decree". The Hill . Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ Goldsberry, Jenny (January 26, 2024). "Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to 'absolutely' send National Guard to Texas border". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ Huber, Craig (February 12, 2024). "Indiana commits National Guard to Texas-Mexico border as Gov. Abbott vows to install more razor wire". Spectrum News . Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  18. ↑ Dereuck, Kelly (February 21, 2024). "Gov. Mike Parson to send Missouri National Guard, highway patrol to secure Mexico border". Springfield News-Leader . Yahoo! News . Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  19. ↑ Irwin, Lauren (March 20, 2024). "Sanders sending Arkansas National Guard troops to US border with Mexico". The Hill .
  20. ↑ Choi, Matthew; Downen, Robert (January 26, 2024). ""Hold the line": Republicans rally to Abbott's defense in border standoff with Biden". The Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  21. ↑ Giaritelli, Anna (January 24, 2024). "The Department of Homeland Security has sent a letter to Texas A.G demanding that Texas National Guard troops allow Federal personal into the area of Shelby Park by this Friday". Washington Examiner . Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  22. ↑ Bickerton, James (January 25, 2024). "Joe Biden Faces Growing Calls to Federalize Texas National Guard". Newsweek . Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  23. ↑ Yan, Holly; Flores, Rosa; Weisfeldt, Sara (January 29, 2024). "Texas seized part of the US-Mexico border and blocked federal Border Patrol agents. Here's what happened next". CNN. Archived from the original on January 29, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  24. ↑ Randazzo, Thad (January 29, 2024). "Attorney General Miyares releases statement in support of Texas Border Defense". WFXRtv. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
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