2023-08-28 04:00:14
Two years ago, when Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a multibillion-dollar initiative to stop Mexican immigrants from entering the state, the border town of Eagle Pass was receiving 1,200 people a day, and many residents appreciated the decision.
Hugo Urbina, owner of a pecan farm near the Rio Grande, was not at all pleased with the constant movement of people on his property, which sometimes reached dozens of people in a single day. “These people cannot arrive like this, by the thousands, without consequences,” said Urbina.
Jessie Fuentes, who owns a kayak and canoe rental business, didn’t want foreigners to think that his country’s borders were “open”; for the mayor, Rolando Salinas Jr., the Border Patrol was overwhelmed.
Too far away
In time, however, as Abbott began to test the legal limits of state action on immigration—moving the National Guard and hundreds of police officers from the Texas force to the border and installing barbed wire and floating barriers along the river—part of that popular support seems to have started to evaporate.
Recent reports of injuries and at least two deaths near the 300 meters of river buoys have become a matter of concern. “He went too far,” said Fuentes.
The heightened tactic of what the state government calls a “containment operation” has drawn criticism even within the Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. In an interview, some residents confessed to the feeling that the city is under siege, with troops distributed along the banks of the river to prevent those trying to cross from continuing.
In a letter addressed to President Biden in July, Abbott explained that his forces were protecting the region from the threat posed by illegal drugs, human trafficking and cartel violence, in addition to ensuring the safety of those arriving: “His open border policy encourages immigrants to risk their lives, entering illegally through the water instead of opting for the portals, safe and legal”.
Lonely Star
In Eagle Pass, state authorities have already made clear their intention to proceed with the operation, at least on the banks of the river, as long as they deem it necessary. “There is an expectation that the landowners who initially agreed with the initiative will keep the property open until its completion. That said, there is no definition on the deadline for completing Operation Lone Star”, said Lieutenant Christopher Olivarez, spokesman for voice of the security department.
It turns out that many residents whose property is located near the Rio Grande complain about the excesses of agents. “In the beginning, I agreed to cooperate, yes, but over time I watched, astonished, as the officers took control of everything,” confirmed Urbina.
The administration of the local shelter revealed that many migrants are arriving with nasty injuries and cuts, caused by the barbed wire, and Urbina is uncomfortable that some of these incidents take place on his property. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Even city officials are already less receptive. Salinas, the mayor, who has already publicly proclaimed his support for Operation Lone Star and continues to advocate a more robust police presence on the border, revealed himself to be against the aggressive tactics that have been used lately.
The mayor explained that while he initially allowed the state police to patrol Shelby Park, which is municipal property, he realized that residents, unable to enjoy the park, began to pressure city councilors to have the license revoked.
Salinas said he denied the state government’s recent request to build a gate at the boat ramp next to the river. “They said they were asking out of politeness, but they were going to install it anyway because they obeyed the governor and the state of emergency declared by him.”
“Decisions on the immigration issue have to come from Washington, not from the state, which is offering more than enhanced security in the border region. At the local level, we don’t have solutions; it is the federal government that needs to reform, and this has been discussed for at least 30 years,” said Salinas.
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