Greg Abbott deployed the National Guard to re-lay razor wire to deter migrants — as the mayor of a border town declared a state of emergency amid an influx of 14,000 people.
Texas’ governor launched a blistering attack on Joe Biden on Wednesday, criticizing him for “cutting the cord” and assuring Texans he was getting it fixed.
He shared images of Texas National Guard members unraveling the new barrier before deploying it along the banks of the Rio Grande.
It comes as Eagle Pass is overwhelmed by thousands of migrants flooding the border, with nearly 14,000 crossing since last week and 4,000 on Wednesday.
Mayor Rolando Salinas declared a state of emergency on Wednesday after thousands overran Mission Border Hope, the city’s only migrant shelter.
Despite the desperation, Biden on Wednesday granted temporary work permits to 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country between January 1 and July 31.
Thousands of migrants line up to be processed upon arrival at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Wednesday. At one point the line stretched for five miles
The line of migrants awaiting processing Wednesday stretched as far as the eye could see in Eagle Pass
Migrants sit under the bridge in Eagle Pass on Wednesday, awaiting processing
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said the Biden administration cut the razor wire along the border – so he sent people to replace it
The bridge between Eagle Pass and the Mexican city across the border, Piedras Negras, was closed Wednesday so border agents could be deployed to work on migrant processing.
Randy Clark, a retired Border Patrol agent who now writes for Breitbart, said the decision to close the border to those traveling back and forth legally shows the extent of the problem.
“The only closure at the border is one of the two points of entry where legal residents and citizens intersect. DHS inconvenience is reserved for legitimate commerce and travel,” he wrote on X.
‘No obstacles to the constant flow of illegal traffic between the ports. “This government is on crazy pills!”
The line for processing illegal immigrants stretched for five miles on Wednesday. NewsNation reported, and made his way back to Mexico.
Rolando Salinas, the mayor of Eagle Pass, said 2,500 people entered his city of 29,000 on Monday, and 7,200 the week before.
So far this year, the Del Rio sector of the border, where Eagle Pass is located, has recorded 317,866 “encounters” with migrants, the latest Border Patrol data shows.
This figure is a decrease of 15.5 percent from the same period last year, but Salinas said his city was still struggling.
“It has taken a toll on our local resources, especially our police and our fire departments,” he said Tuesday evening.
“I’m getting a lot of calls from our constituents saying they’re concerned, they’re seeing a lot of people in our community.
“But I understand some of these people don’t want to be there. So they’re leaving (the shelters) and on the streets, and I understand a lot of people’s concerns.”
Rolando Salinas, the mayor of Eagle Pass, said 2,500 people entered his city of 29,000 on Monday. On Tuesday evening he declared a state of emergency
Migrants were photographed wading across the Rio Grande from Piedras Negras to Eagle Pass last week
The Biden administration said it will send 800 active-duty troops to the border, boosting the efforts of the 2,500 National Guardsmen already deployed to assist Customs and Border Protection at the border.
Abbott, the governor of Texas, said he was also sending additional National Guard members.
He said the barbed wire his team had installed along the banks of the river had been torn down: he had deployed troops to reinstall it.
“Texas has installed barbed wire in Eagle Pass to stop illegal crossings,” Abbott said.
“Today, the Biden administration cut that wire, opening the floodgates to illegal immigrants.
“I immediately deployed more Texas National Guard to crack down on illegal crossings and install more razor wire.”
Abbott said he deployed people to repair barbed wire in Eagle Pass
Abbott said the Biden administration wasn’t doing enough to stem the flow
And amid the fear at the border, the Biden administration trumpeted its decision on Venezuela.
Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, has authorized the expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) due to “Venezuela’s increased instability and lack of security due to ongoing humanitarian, security, political and environmental conditions” , the ministry said in a statement. .
There are currently approximately 242,700 TPS beneficiaries under Venezuela’s existing TPS status, who will be able to stay for an additional 18 months.
There are another approximately 472,000 Venezuelan nationals who are now eligible for the scheme.
Critics say the promise of work will encourage illegal crossings — even though anyone who crosses the border after July 31 or has not registered will not be eligible.
But proponents of the plan said it gave migrants awaiting processing the opportunity to work and earn a living, easing the burden on states.
Migrants from Venezuela wade through the Rio Grande to arrive at Eagle Pass on September 15
“Since last spring, more than 116,000 asylum seekers have come to New York City seeking the American Dream,” tweeted Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City and one of the most outspoken advocates for allowing migrants to work.
“Our administration and our partners across the city have been leading the call to ‘Let Them Work,’ so I want to thank @POTUS for hearing our entire coalition, including our hardworking congressional delegation, and taking this important step that hopes will bring to the thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers currently in our care who will now immediately qualify for Temporary Protected Status.”
Kathy Hochul, New York’s governor, said she too was pleased — and appeared to take credit for the decision.
“After my productive conversation with @POTUS last night, I am grateful that the federal government acted so quickly to grant one of our top priorities: granting Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers who have already arrived in this country.” , she says. wrote on X.
“There is more work to do as we address the migrant crisis, but New York State is prepared to immediately begin the process of registering people for work authorization and getting them into jobs so they can become self-sufficient.”