Global Courant 2023-05-08 20:45:15
Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Monday announced a new Texas Tactical Border Force ahead of the expiration of Title 42 public health order, which helped bar migrants from entering the US
In response to “Joe Biden’s reckless border policies,” the Texas National Guard is loading Black Hawk helicopters and C-130s, and deploying specially trained members of the National Guard to “intercept, repel, and evacuate migrants at hotspots along the border.” those attempting to enter Texas illegally,” Abbott said at a news conference from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
In a statement, the Texas National Guard said it activated 545 additional military personnel at locations across the state on Monday to “strengthen the border mission pending the end of Title 42 immigration restrictions.”
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Gov. Greg Abbott shakes hands with members of the Texas National Guard as they prepare to head for the border in Austin, Texas on Monday, May 8, 2023. The Title 42 policy expires Thursday. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
“These additional troops will bolster the thousands of members of the Texas National Guard already helping local and state law enforcement agencies secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, guns and people into Texas; and prevent, detect and interdict cross-border criminal behavior between ports of entry,” the Texas National Guard said in a statement on Monday. to block and prohibit smuggling (drugs, weapons and people). to Texas.”
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Abbott was accompanied by Texas Border Czar Mike Banks, Texas National Guard Deputy Gen. Thomas Suelzer and Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw in making the announcement.
Members of the Texas National Guard install barbed wire on the border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Wednesday, May 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Christian Chavez)
“President Biden is laying out a welcome mat for people around the world, saying the United States border is wide open and this will result in an incredible number of people crossing the border illegally. President Biden’s open-border policy will lead to catastrophic disaster in the United States,” Abbott said.
“According to the Biden administration itself, they expect about 13,000 people to cross the border illegally every day,” the governor added. “If you expand that over a year, that means there are about 4,700,000 people crossing the border each year. That means there are more people crossing the border illegally than there are residents of the huge city of Chicago.”
Gov. Greg Abbott holds a press conference as members of the Texas National Guard prepare to head for the border. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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The Texas Tactical Border Force aims to support Operation Lone Star, which Abbott says has already returned 37,000 people who have already crossed the border illegally, arrested about 27,000 high-risk criminals, including “members of cartel gangs” wanted for crimes such as murder , and confiscated “enough fentanyl that would have been enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States.”
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
