- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton refuses Biden administration’s request to grant federal immigration officials access to Shelby Park on the southern border, which has been sealed off by the Texas National Guard.
- Texas guardsmen are setting up barriers and instructing migrants to return to Mexico, leading to conflict between Texas and the federal government over control of the park and impeding Border Patrol operations.
- Supreme Court allows Border Patrol to cut razor wire in Texas, but access to Shelby Park remains denied, potentially leading to a federal court battle. Border crossings have decreased but still at record highs.
Additional Coverage:
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has rejected a request from the Biden administration to grant federal immigration officials access to a park along the southern border. The park, Shelby Park, has been sealed off by the Texas National Guard with razor wire, fencing, and soldiers. The federal government and Texas have been in conflict over control of the park, which was once used for illegal crossings by migrants. The Department of Homeland Security had given Paxton until Friday to allow federal agents inside the park, but he refused, stating that it would not become an unofficial port of entry. Texas is continuing its efforts to protect its border.
The Texas guardsmen in Shelby Park have set up barriers to prevent migrants from crossing into the U.S. illegally and are instructing them to return to Mexico. The Texas Department of Public Safety has also begun arresting some adult migrants on state criminal trespassing charges. Texas officials argue that their actions are meant to discourage illegal crossings, while the Biden administration states that Texas is impeding Border Patrol operations. Immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility, and Texas officials are not authorized to screen migrants for asylum or deport them.
The Supreme Court recently allowed Border Patrol to cut the razor wire in Texas, but the wire in Shelby Park remains intact since federal officials have not been granted access to the area. If the Biden administration files a lawsuit against Texas over the seizure of the park, it could end up in federal court. Governor Abbott defends his actions as necessary to protect his state from an “invasion.”
Last month, over 302,000 migrants were processed along the southern border, which is a record high. However, illegal border crossings have since decreased, possibly due to increased Mexican immigration enforcement and a post-holiday lull.