The Texas Department of Public Safety has initiated a crackdown at Shelby Park, a border park in Eagle Pass. DPS officers, following Gov. Greg Abbott's directive has started detaining undocumented migrants for criminal trespass, signaling the state's intensified efforts to control its border.
As seen in videos posted by Lt. Chris Olivarez, Texas troopers have been focused on apprehending single adult men and women. In a move defying the federal government, Texas has denied the Department of Homeland Security's request for access to the area, with Texas asserting its dominance over the increasingly contested border park.
Under the authority of Gov. @GregAbbott_TX’s Border Disaster Declaration, @TxDPS Troopers are arresting illegal immigrants for criminal trespass at #ShelbyPark in Eagle Pass. Troopers are enforcing criminal trespass on single adult men & women. The State of #Texas will maintain a… pic.twitter.com/EuRhYDNYLH
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) January 18, 2024
The arrests come ahead of Senate Bill 4, which gives Texas broader powers to arrest and potentially deport undocumented migrants. Despite a cease-and-desist order from the Biden administration demanding federal access, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton retorted that the state holds the authority over the park.
"The State of [Texas] will maintain a proactive posture in curbing illegal border crossings between ports of entry," stated Olivarez on social media.
The arrests have elicited responses from various advocacy groups, including the Texas Civil Rights Project. "I think what we’re seeing now is a much greater escalation as Governor Abbott prepares to supercharge Operation Lone Star, because he will no longer have to rely on trespassing, he will have a state law that says he can arrest anyone that says you suspect that they have entered Texas without papers," Roberto Lopez, senior advocacy manager of the Texas Civil Rights Project told KEYE.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has not provided further comment on the process of these arrests or the timing ahead of SB 4's implementation.
