Abbott's Operation Lone Star, which targets illegal Mexican immigration, is centered in the park. Occasionally, the Rio Grande carries migrants to their deaths.
Texas border district Democrat Henry Cuellar said Sunday that state investigators examined the distress call and sought for the migrants. The basic line is that Border Patrol was prevented from accessing Shelby Park, Cuellar said.
Texas officials stated Border Patrol officers wanted access to discover another group of migrants believed to have perished. One of two arrested by state military men was transported to medics with “hypothermic conditions.” The message did not specify Border Patrol park access.
Over the summer, hundreds illegally entered the U.S. through Eagle Pass. After a dip, thousands of migrants swamped federal services in December. Mexico increased immigration enforcement in January, causing a dramatic drop.
The city owns the 50-acre (20-hectare) park, but the state Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department guard border crossings there. Since daily apprehensions in the region have dropped in recent weeks, Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas questioned why the state shuttered the park this week. He said the state provided local officials no notice or park reopening date.
The Justice Department informed the Supreme Court on Friday that Texas had taken control of Shelby Park and was excluding Border Patrol inspectors. Texas admitted taking the local park but claimed the court the federal government misrepresented its activities and was seeking to address access problems.
Texas has often been criticized for border enforcement. Despite winter chill, Abbott has bused over 100,000 refugees to Democratic-led cities. He also put razor wire on the border and buoy obstacles on the Rio Grande.
Melissa R. Cigarroa, a Laredo city council member and No Border Wall Coalition member, held a memorial Saturday at Shelby Park to honor Rio Grande migrants who perished. She claimed guests walked past a gate with armed National Guard personnel and saw law enforcement police and cars near the river.
She thought about “just how little people's lives matter in these decisions” after seeing the situation and the ceremony's purpose. “People are dying, and we know deterrents mean nothing,” she remarked.