Market Research Record – A group of Democratic lawmakers from Texas has called on the state’s Republican governor to halt his aggressive border security campaign. Recent allegations have surfaced, suggesting that Texas authorities were instructed to deny water to migrants in extreme heat and push migrant children back into the Rio Grande River. Led by Representative Joaquin Castro, the lawmakers have appealed to President Joe Biden to intervene using federal authority if Governor Greg Abbott refuses to end the initiative known as Operation Lone Star. They have also urged the Justice Department to complete its ongoing investigation into potential civil rights violations and issue a cease-and-desist order, condemning Abbott’s policies as brutal and inhumane.
In recent months, Texas National Guard troops have taken measures such as stringing up razor wire and installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande to impede migrants from crossing into Texas from Mexico. However, these actions have faced criticism and diplomatic concerns, with Mexico lodging a complaint regarding the installation of barriers without consultation with federal officials.
Despite a decrease in the number of migrants apprehended since President Biden implemented stricter asylum policies in May, approximately 100,000 individuals were still caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in June.
The Houston Chronicle reported allegations that Texas authorities had issued orders that put migrants at risk of life-threatening situations. An email from a Texas Department of Public Safety paramedic and trooper, Nicholas Wingate, revealed such orders. Wingate’s email, reviewed by Reuters, raised concerns about the inhumane consequences of installing concertina wire, which led to the drowning of five migrants near Eagle Pass within a week. One woman trapped in the wire suffered a miscarriage.
In response to the allegations, Governor Abbott and other Texas officials defended their border security strategy, asserting that no orders compromising the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally had been given under Operation Lone Star. They argued that deterrent measures like concertina wire and other barriers discourage potentially life-threatening and illegal crossings.
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s internal watchdog has initiated an investigation into these allegations, while another Houston Chronicle report revealed that Texas officials had installed razor wire on privately leased federal government property, despite objections from the landowner.
Conclusion: The Texas Democrats’ plea to Governor Abbott aims to halt the aggressive tactics employed in the state’s border security campaign. The allegations of denying water to migrants and pushing children back into the river have sparked widespread condemnation. As the investigation into possible civil rights violations continues, it remains to be seen how this contentious issue will be resolved. The White House has already expressed its strong disapproval, with the Press Secretary describing the alleged Texas orders as atrocious, barbaric, and outright wrong.
