A Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson said that once word gets out that Border Patrol is cutting the razor wire, migrants will come back.
EAGLE PASS, Texas—Despite a U.S. Supreme Court order allowing federal agents to remove razor wire being used along Texas’s southern border, the state hasn’t made any moves to take down existing fencing and is pressing ahead with previously scheduled razor wire installation.
“We have to do something” Staff Sgt. Rene Cordova, spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), told reporters at a Jan. 23 news conference. Once word gets out that Border Patrol is cutting the razor wire, migrants will come back, and “it won’t take them long to figure it out,” he said.
If illegal immigrants do get through areas being patrolled by the Texas National Guard, the Texas DPS will charge them for trespassing, with the exception of families with children, who will be turned over directly to Border Patrol.
“We’re trying to prevent [illegal border crossings], but we can’t be everywhere,“ Staff Sgt. Cordova said. ”Do you think they want to solve this problem? There’s too much money.
“Cartels [are] making more money off migrants than drugs.”
The barriers being put in place were already planned prior to the court’s decision, and those plans will go forward.
Currently, the Texas National Guard is controlling access to Shelby Park, by order of the governor. Border Patrol doesn’t have access to the park right now, but that hasn’t stopped federal agents from doing river patrols and rescues, if needed.
“This case is ongoing, and Governor Abbott will continue fighting to defend Texas’s property and its constitutional authority to secure the border,” Andrew Mahaleris, spokesperson for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.
“The Biden Administration has repeatedly cut wire that Texas installed to stop illegal crossings, opening the floodgates to illegal immigrants,” he said, reiterating Mr. Abbott’s position.
“The absence of razor wire and other deterrence strategies encourages migrants to make unsafe and illegal crossings between ports of entry, while making the job of Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers more dangerous and difficult.”
