The Biden administration demands that Texas immediately stop blocking Border Patrol access

(CNN) — The Biden administration demanded on Sunday that Texas immediately cease efforts to block US Border Patrol access along a section of the US-Mexico border where a woman and two children were found Friday night. The drowning occurred after state officials prevented officers from entering the area, according to a department. A letter from the Department of Homeland Security obtained exclusively by CNN.

The letter, addressed to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, said Texas’ actions “obstructed the program” and were unconstitutional. He also cites an incident this Friday when the Border Patrol contacted Texas officials after learning that a group of migrants were trying to cross the Rio Grande and requested access to the border, but was denied. Three people died.

“The lack of access to the Texas border continues even in cases of imminent threat to life and safety,” says the letter from DHS General Counsel Jonathan Meyer. “Texas has demonstrated that even under the most demanding circumstances, it will not allow Border Patrol access to the border to conduct law enforcement and emergency response activities.”

The Texas Military Department denied the account over the weekend and said in a statement that its security personnel had not observed any tortured migrants. CNN has reached out to Paxton’s office for comment on the letter.

Tensions were rising between Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden over the situation on the southern border of the United States, last week when the state blocked federal security forces from accessing part of the border between the United States and Mexico. extraordinary extent. The federal government has exclusive authority to enforce immigration laws.

According to the letter, a combination of Texas National Guard troops, equipment and physical barriers limited the Border Patrol to about 2.5 miles of the US-Mexico border. The Shelby Park area is near Eagle Pass, Texas, where a large number of border crossings have occurred.

A series of controversial actions taken by Texas has forced the Biden administration to go to court several times to try to block the state’s actions, which it says interfere with its law enforcement duties.

The Biden administration told the Supreme Court on Friday that Texas is effectively blocking agents’ access to a section of the US-Mexico border, asserting that new barriers erected by the state “reinforce” the federal government’s need for the high court to intervene. Quickly in this matter.

Texas officials responded early Saturday, arguing in a Supreme Court filing that the state is “working expeditiously” to ensure US Border Patrol agents have access to the boat ramp used to launch patrol boats into the Rio Grande.

The mayor said in his letter to Paxton that while Texas claimed to resume use of the park, the state continued to block the Border Patrol from entering and warned of possible additional legal action if the state did not cease its efforts.

“We demand that Texas cease and desist efforts to block Border Patrol access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all access barriers to the Shelby Park area,” the letter states.

“If you have not confirmed by the end of the day on January 17, 2024, Texas will cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all border access barriers between the United States and Mexico, we will refer this matter to the Department of Justice for appropriate action and will consider all other available options to restore Border Patrol access to the border,” the letter continues.

Abbott’s actions, including putting up concertina wire and deploying National Guard troops along the state’s shared border with Mexico, have also strained the historically close relationship on the ground with the Border Patrol.

“This is just mind-blowing,” a former Homeland Security official told CNN, referring to the blockade of Border Patrol agents in Texas.

Eagle Pass, where Texas is blocking federal authorities, was the center of a border crisis last month. But border crossings have declined, from thousands of migrant apprehensions per day late last month to about 500 daily encounters in the past week, CNN previously reported.