Texas is building a military “base camp” that could house up to 2,300 soldiers in an attempt to crack down on a surge of illegal crossings.
The camp will be stationed at the southern border in Eagle Pass, a city which has become a major hot spot for migrants since Joe Biden became President in 2021.
Speaking at a news conference, Governor Greg Abbott said: “As opposed to being scattered around many different places across this region, they will be operating out of one place. It will amass a large army in a very strategic area. It will increase the speed and flexibility of the Texas National Guard to be able to respond to crossings.”
The base camp, which Abbott said would “dramatically improve conditions” for soldiers, is the latest effort by Abbott to limit border crossings into his state.
Texas is building a large military base camp in Eagle Pass
Getty
Officials expect that by April, they will have a 300-bed capacity and will continue to add 300 beds each month until the camp is completed.
It will include dining rooms, individual rooms for soldiers, weapons storage rooms, vehicle maintenance bays and a helicopter pad.
“Before now, the Texas National Guard had been scattered across this entire region in cramped quarters, away from fellow soldiers, and sometimes travelling long distances to do their job,” Abbott said in a statement.
“This base camp is going to dramatically improve conditions for our soldiers.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
National Guard soldiers stand guard on the banks of the Rio Grande river at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas
GettyIt comes amid an ongoing row between the Biden administration and Abbott on how to best control the influx of migrants that are crossing over the US-Mexico border daily.
Abbott instructed state troopers to install a long stretch of concertina razor wire along the Rio Grande River, near the border city of Eagle Pass.
The Biden administration fought back against the installation of the wire, asking the Supreme Court to allow Border Patrol agents to cut down the razor wire installed on the US-Mexico border.
The Supreme Court ruled in the US government’s favour earlier this month, but Texas has vowed to continue to install more razor wire.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott deployed the National Guard after Biden cut the razor wireREUTERS“We are putting up wire ... everywhere we can. We will continue. We will not stop,” Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick said told Fox News.
“If they cut it, we will replace it.”
More than one million migrants have entered the US since Joe Biden became President nearly four years ago.
The US migrant crisis has become a key battleground ahead of the 2024 presidential election in which Joe Biden is expected to face off against Donald Trump in what would be a rematch of the 2020 contest.
In the 2023 fiscal year, the US Border Patrol recorded 2,063,692 encounters with undocumented immigrants.
The number fell from the record high reached in 2022.
