EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Tensions remained high at the U.S Mexico border on Friday, March 22, a day after over 500 migrants were arrested, taken into custody and processed by U.S Border Patrol after crossing illegally into the U.S. through international marker no. 36 (gate 36), located between Fonseca and Midway Drive off of the border highway.
Scenes of hundreds of migrants pushing through concertina wire and Texas National Guard troops on the U.S. side of the border, rushing towards the border fence to try and turn themselves into Border Patrol caused a stir nationally.
KTSM crews even captured footage of Texas National Guards pinning migrants on the ground with force.
Border Patrol were not involved in the scuffles, but one of their spokespeople, Claudio Herrera, said the incident prompted a response from higher officials.
“It is also important to remark that the U.S. Attorney’s Office today stated that there will be consequences, criminal consequences for those individuals that damage government property and assault any other law enforcement agencies besides us, of course,” said Herrera.
The groups of migrants gathered at gate 36 seemed to be much smaller on Friday compared to the day before, with the numbers seemingly in the dozens rather than the hundreds.
However, more Texas National Guard troops arrived at the border on Friday. Texas Governor Greg Abbott took X (formerly Twitter), to announce that they deployed more national guard soldiers and installed more razor wire.
“We continue to redouble and reinforce our efforts,” Abbott wrote in his post. “Texas will keep taking historic action to protect our state and our nation from Biden’s disastrous open border policies.”
Texas State troopers were seen with their weapons drawn on migrants. People at the scene reported the ammo to be bean bag rounds.
Both Texas National Guard troops and Texas DPS State troopers were seen with helmets and shields, warning migrants with a megaphone speaker that they would be arrested if they were to damage the razor wire or try to cross through it.
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar weighed in on the incident between migrants and the Texas National Guard.
“From my perspective, an example of what happens when you create an ad hoc immigration law enforcement entity that is untrained, undermanned and under-resourced, to do the job that is being done today by the U.S. Border Patrol,” said Escobar.
Escobar went on to say that unlike Border Patrol agents, who she highlighted have encountered much larger groups of migrants, the Texas National Guard does not have the resources or expertise to handle these kinds of situations.
“Operation Lone Star is not helpful to the Border Patrol and is not helpful with the challenges that we are seeing at the border,” said Escobar.
Read: Read More