Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick responded to claims that the Texas National Guard prevented Border Patrol agents from assisting three unlawful migrants who were drowning in the Rio Grande.
Patrick posted a clip of his appearance on Fox News in which he discussed the claims that the three unlawful migrants, a woman and two children, drowned in the Rio Grande.
When asked whether he anticipates the federal government pursuing legal action due to these claims, Patrick said it is unlikely because he believes “they know they’re wrong.”
“This woman and her children drowned before Border Patrol got there. We have the legal authority in the state of Texas to protect the ingress of our property, and that’s what we’re doing,” explained Patrick.
“We want to work with the Border Patrol. Most of them are good people but I believe this is a political move by Biden on down.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently defended the reports that the Texas National Guard prevented assistance for those drowning in the river, claiming that “[t]here were other migrants in the water” and the statement was “consistent with DOJ’s filing.”
“They drowned near Eagle Pass — which is, as I said, devastating — and that Texas officials blocked Border Patrol from … accessing the area. That’s what was happening at that time,” she said during a press briefing on Wednesday, per The White House.
The statement provided by the White House claimed that “Texas officials blocked U.S. Border Patrol from attempting to provide emergency assistance,” according to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin.
However, a filing by the U.S. Department of Justice contradicts these claims. The DOJ filing states that Mexican officials informed Border Patrol at 9 p.m. that the three unlawful migrants drowned in the river around 8 p.m., as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Patrick further detailed the crisis along the southern border, saying that the current pace will result in more than 10 million unlawful migrants entering the country.
“The biggest states in America by population are California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and the state of illegal immigrants,” he said while speaking with Fox News.
“That many illegal immigrants have come into this country since Biden’s become president. More than any other state except those top six states that I mentioned.”
These comments come shortly after the Texas National Guard seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass after claiming that the federal government had made a decision to “perpetuate illegal crossings.”
Department of Homeland Security General Counsel Jonathan Meyer then sent a cease and desist letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton, writing that the seizure of Shelby Park “impeded operations” of Border Patrol.
This letter also stated that DHS would pursue legal action if the state did not confirm that it would grant Border Patrol access to the park by Wednesday.
Paxton has since responded to the cease and desist letter, writing that there “is not even a pretense that you are trying to prevent the illegal entry of aliens.”
The attorney general also noted that “Texas has lawyers, too,” adding that he “will continue to stand up for this State’s constitutional powers of self-defense.”