In order to deal with the anticipated flood of hundreds of thousands of migrants as Title 42, the public health decree put in place during the pandemic that permitted the deportation of migrants expires on May 11th, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) announced the formation of a new task group on Monday.
The governor updated Texans on the impending disaster in the Rio Grande during a press conference on Monday morning, according to KVIA, which was held at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Up to 10,000 National Guardsmen and 1,200 members of the Department of Public Safety would be sent to the border in the coming days, the governor declared.
The formation of a new task force, the “Texas Tactical Border Force,” as part of this deployment will include carefully chosen soldiers of the Texas National Guard who will be sent to “hot spots” along the 1,254 miles of the state’s border with Mexico.
With over 13,000 expected every day, this task force will be tasked with stopping, discouraging, and turning back any migrants trying to enter the state.
The Texas governor added that in order to support them in their task alongside those already stationed near the border as part of Operation Lone Star, the speciality group will be outfitted with aircraft, watercraft, and other vehicles.
“[Operation Lone Star] agencies ready security forces as Texas prepares for Title 42 to end next week,” Abbott posted on Twitter on May 5th. “While President Biden deploys troops to do paperwork, Texas is ramping up our historic efforts to protect our state and our nation.”
#OperationLoneStar agencies ready security forces as Texas prepares for Title 42 to end next week.
While President Biden deploys troops to do paperwork, Texas is ramping up our historic efforts to protect our state and our nation.https://t.co/FyRbaF20Rn
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) May 5, 2023
Following President Biden’s stationing of 1,500 active duty military members along the southern border in advance of Title 42’s expiration, additional Texans have been sent to the border. However, they are there to help with the paperwork that will allow more migrants to enter the nation, not to guard the border.
The state of Texas and the nation as a whole will suffer greatly from the repeal of Title 42. In the coming weeks, hundreds of thousands of migrants are anticipated to flood the border, and millions are anticipated to do so during the year.
Approximately 2,200 migrants are either camped out or residing on the streets of El Paso, Texas, just a few blocks from the main ports of entry that link El Paso with the Mexican city of Juárez. If necessary, the city is preparing to open shelters at two abandoned school buildings and a civic center the next week.
The mayor of El Paso said Sunday that streetcar service has been discontinued indefinitely due to “service changes necessary for public safety and a road closure needed to accommodate the City’s response to the humanitarian migrant crisis issue impacting downtown City services.”
According to the El Paso Times, city officials announced over the weekend that portions of Father Rahm Avenue will be closed due to the 1,800 migrants who are seeking safety and shelter by the famed Sacred Heart Catholic Church downtown.
Approximately 10,000 to 12,000 migrants are reportedly waiting to cross the border in Juárez, according to El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser, who is warning the community to be ready for the “unknown.” According to Leeser, migrants are swarming to the border under the mistaken belief that once Title 42 is repealed, it will be simpler to enter the United States.
The El Paso Police Department is advising motorists to “use extra caution” due to the possibility of migrant groups dashing into traffic on highways and streets along the border and in the city center, according to a city news release.
According to the El Paso Times, electronic signs installed along the six-lane César Chávez Border Highway caution cars to look out for “unexpected pedestrians” close to the Rio Grande.
The deployment of 1,500 active duty military personnel to the southwest border to help with data entry, warehousing, and monitoring efforts was authorized by the secretary of defense, according to U.S. Northern Command on Saturday. However, those service members won’t be allowed to help with migrant processing.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, announced a new tactical border force with the state National Guard on Monday in an effort to stop illegal immigration and the trafficking of people and drugs.
Local and federal authorities are up against a potent network of human smugglers when it comes to messaging since it encourages migration to the north and the despair of migrants who feel they have no other choice.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials claim that drills have been conducted at the Brownsville port of entry to prepare for the possibility of a surge in migrant traffic necessitating the closing of the bridge.
From Matamoros, pedestrians use a covered walkway that can only carry a small number of people. They are urging people to make appointments through CBP One because they are concerned about the impact of huge lines of migrants arriving at the port after May 11 without an appointment and how that may affect port operations.
