Abbott orders Texas National Guard to assist with arrests at US-Mexico border
Border authorities stopped 188,829 attempted crossings in June, which was the highest this year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday ordered the state's National Guard members to assist the Department of Public Safety (DPS) in arresting illegal immigrants at the US.-Mexico border who break state laws.
Abbott's order was included in a letter sent to Major Gen. Tracy R. Norris of the Texas Military Department.
The order expands on Abbott's June disaster declaration, which directed the DPS to enforce all federal and state criminal laws, including those on criminal trespassing, smuggling, and human trafficking. That declaration had allowed the use of all available state resources to assist state and local law enforcement in protecting Texans from "criminal activity and property damage."
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a news conference, June 8, 2021, in Austin, Texas. (Associated Press)
"To respond to this disaster and secure the rule of law at our Southern border, more manpower is needed," Abbott wrote in the letter. "DPS needs help in arresting those who are violating state law. … I hereby order that the Texas National Guard assist DPS in enforcing Texas law by arresting lawbreakers at the border."
The order comes as the Biden administration tackles a surge in migration and illegal contraband at the border. Critics have blamed the surge on a rollback of Trump-era border policies and enforcement, while the Biden administration has blamed the Trump administration and "root causes" in Central America.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"President Biden's open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous gangs and cartels, human traffickers, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour into our communities," Abbott said in a statement last month.
In June, border authorities stopped 188,829 attempted crossings, which was the highest this year, according to the Texas Tribune. The previous high of 180,641 was set in May.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Abbott, a Republican, held a security briefing at the Texas Statehouse in Austin this month, where sheriffs from local communities expressed their need for more manpower, more jail space, and more judges, FOX 7 of Austin reported.
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"People think that this is a border-related issue and it is, but this is also an issue that affects counties across the entire state of Texas," said Abbott.