Texas Governor Blames Biden for Surge of Migrant Minors at Border, Seeks Access to Detainees
Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Dallas on Wednesday about the growing surge of migrants at the U.S. border with Mexico. The governor directly blamed President Joe Biden’s open borders policies for the humanitarian crisis.
Governor Abbott spoke at a hotel located across the street from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas where FEMA is housing some 3,000 teenage boys ages 15 to 17. Breitbart Texas reported the teens would stay at the convention center for up to 90 days.
“These sites are a direct result of President Biden’s reckless open border policies that are causing a surge in crossings and cartel activity,” Abbott said. “The administration has yet to provide answers that Texans deserve.”
“U.S. Health and Human Services will open the center to take some of the strain off Border Patrol, which is not supposed to hold children for more than three days but has been forced to do so for much longer,” KXAN added. “At least 3,000 children had been in custody longer than that 72-hour limit.”
The Biden administration claims that it is sending adults and families back because of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coronavirus order but is allowing children — or mostly older teens — admission into the country.
The Austin NBC affiliate’s report continued:
According to Abbott, Biden’s administration needs to provide information on where these migrants have come from and a timeline of how long they’ll be in Texas/the U.S.
The governor said that so far this year, 11,000 minors have been apprehended crossing the border into Texas, which he claims is a 60% increase between January (which was under the Trump administration) and February.
“On Monday alone, the Border Patrol took in about 280 child migrants in the Rio Grande Valley sector. America needs to know how these children — some are young children — are coming across the border and who is it that is helping these children across the border,” the Texas governor explained.
Abbott added that he asked the Biden administration to allow Texas officials to interview minors being held at the facility. The governor also said he is expanding the Operation Lonestar program to combat human trafficking.
Abbott expressed concern that individuals entering the country could be ill, including those who may be infected with the coronavirus.
“Are they being tested for COVID?” Abbott asked. “And if so, how is the administration handling those who test positive?”
“Texas is willing to step up and help out,” the governor concluded. “But this is the Biden administration’s responsibility … the Biden administration has made it clear that if you are an unaccompanied child, you will be allowed to come into the United States.”
Follow Penny Starr on Twitter or send news tips to pstarr@breitbart.com
Large Migrant Groups Continue Crossing Border into Texas — 24K in Two Weeks
Border Patrol agents in the nation’s busiest sector continue to encounter large groups of migrants illegally crossing from Mexico into South Texas. Nearly 24,000 were apprehended in the last two weeks alone — nearly 28,000 for all of February.
Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol agents continue to apprehend large groups of migrants illegally crossing the border. Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings tweeted last Friday that nearly 24,000 migrants had been taken into custody in his sector during the past two weeks. Hundreds more were apprehended in the days that followed.
This group adds to the nearly 24,000 individuals apprehended throughout the RGV in the last two weeks.
For more info on activity in the RGV, click the link: https://t.co/s1uz7Tv6l1 https://t.co/lh2Yp1ATIM
— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 13, 2021
On Saturday morning, agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station encountered a group of 134 migrants after they illegally crossed the border near Las Lomas, Texas. The agents identified 128 migrants as family units — mostly from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua.
A few hours later, agents from this same station encountered another large group of migrants near La Grulla, Texas. In this incident, the agents apprehended 113 migrants composed of family units and unaccompanied alien children, officials stated. Included in the 113 migrants were 17 Romanian nationals. The balance came to the U.S. from Central America, officials stated.
“Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the lives they endanger nor to the health of the citizens of our great nation,” officials said in a written statement.
The #RGV continues to see an increase in illegal crossings despite #COVID19 concerns.
Two large groups totaling 201 illegal aliens were arrested by agents in Rio Grande City and La Joya, TX.
The group consisted of 71 family members & 19 unaccompanied alien children. pic.twitter.com/MZQbDXfPhx— Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings (@USBPChiefRGV) March 11, 2021
Last week, Rio Grande Valley Sector agents apprehended large groups of mostly family-unit migrants from Central America near La Grulla, La Joya, and Roma. These groups totaled 339 migrants from Central America, Romania, and Cuba, officials stated.
“Despite the inherent dangers of crossing the treacherous Rio Grande, illegal aliens continue to risk their lives to enter the United States,” Border Patrol officials stated. “In recent days, Border Patrol has conducted multiple rescues of individuals, who were set adrift by smugglers. Groups are smuggled on inflatable rafts almost always exceeding the maximum capacity of the rafts, and rarely provided life vests.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
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