Photo: Michael Gonzalez / Getty Images News / Getty Images
A letter obtained by ‘Border Report’ shows that the Department of Homeland Security is demanding that the State of Texas allow U.S. Border Patrol agents access to Shelby Park in Eagle Pass by Friday.
The letter was sent Tuesday to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is “to demand access to the Shelby Park area,” where state officials posted a gate and sealed it off from Border Patrol two weeks ago as part of the state’s Operation Lone Star border security initiative.
In the letter, Homeland Security General Counsel Jonathan Meyer writes: “The Department must also have the ability to access the border in the Shelby Park area that is currently obstructed by Texas.”
Meyer also questions allegations by state officials and seeks clarification on exactly who currently has access to the park.
“The State has alleged that Shelby Park is open to the public, but we do not believe this statement is accurate. To our knowledge, Texas has only permitted access to Shelby Park by allowing public entry for a memorial, the media, and use of the golf course adjacent to Shelby Park, all while continuing to restrict U.S. Border Patrol’s access to the park. Please clarify the scope of access Texas permits to the public,” Meyer wrote.
Governor Greg Abbott spoke out about the situation this morning during an interview on Fox News. You can check that out below.
The Governor also put out the latest statistics from Operation Lone Star. Since its launch, the multi-agency effort has led to over 496,700 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 38,700 criminal arrests, with more than 35,100 felony charges. In the fight against the fentanyl crisis, Texas law enforcement has seized over 454 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also transported:
- Over 12,500 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 37,500 migrants to New York City since August 2022
- Over 31,200 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 3,400 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 16,000 migrants to Denver since May 18
- Over 1,500 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14