State troopers from Nebraska and Florida joined Texas Department of Public Safety personnel and U.S. Border Patrol agents to hold a large group surge of Haitian and Venezuelan migrants at a barrier in Del Rio.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin tweeted videos showing a group of hundreds of migrants attempting to push their way through a border barrier in Del Rio on Monday. The videos show troopers from Florida, Nebraska, and Texas coordinating with Border Patrol agents to help hold the group back.
Another video from earlier. A Border Patrol agent told me this was the biggest single group he’s ever seen in Del Rio & that they’re glad troopers from Florida & Nebraska were here to help man the gate with Texas troopers. Almost all ended up being let into the US. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/kwRAaAxofq
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 19, 2021
A law enforcement source within Customs and Border Protection tells Breitbart Texas that nearly 500 migrants, mostly Haitians and Venezuelans, entered the United States on Monday. The source reports that “it’s not one single group–nearly 500 have crossed early this morning in an unstoppable wave.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also sounded off on the incident Monday.
“In less than seven months, President Biden’s dangerous and reckless open border policies have created a magnet for illegal immigrants, with 20-year record-high numbers surging across our southern border,” Governor Abbott said Monday. “This latest wave of hundreds of migrants rushing our border gates in Del Rio creates chaos for border officials and law enforcement, which is exactly what cartels and smugglers want.”
“Cartels, drug smugglers, and human traffickers are profiting off of the chaos as they overwhelm and divert our nation’s resources so they can smuggle drugs, weapons, criminals, and other contraband across our border,” the Texas governor continued. “Our brave Texas law enforcement, and law enforcement providing support from other states like Florida and Nebraska, are working diligently to uphold the rule of law and fill the gaps created by President Biden and Border Czar Harris. As the Biden Administration continues to abandon their duties to this nation, Texas is stepping up with our state partners to secure our southern border and protect Texans and Americans alike.”
The Florida and Nebraska troopers are at the Texas border in response to an emergency declaration and call for assistance made by Texas Governor Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in June. As reported by Breitbart Texas, the governors called on their peers to send law enforcement resources to help secure the border.
“When it comes to the Biden Administration’s open-border disaster, our greatest need is for additional law enforcement personnel and equipment,” the two border-state governors wrote in the June 10 letter. The governors said that under the emergency declaration and governors’ compact, these law enforcement officers will have the full legal authority to arrest migrants for illegally entering the United States.
Over the weekend, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis joined Governor Abbott in Del Rio for a briefing on the emergency situation along the border, Breitbart reported. DeSantis expressed surprise at how many of the Venezuelan migrants being apprehended were headed to his state of Florida.
“I think those numbers are eye-popping,” the Florida governor said. “The number of these people coming across illegally, who are telling folks that their destination is Florida, obviously I knew we were going to get some, but I didn’t think it’d be a majority.”
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
Editor’s note: this article was updated with additional comments.
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