DEL RIO, Texas (Nexstar) — On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety and the state’s National Guard to assist in shutting down six points of entry along the southern border, his office confirmed. However, the federal government didn’t approve the actions.
“The sheer negligence of the Biden Administration to do their job and secure the border is appalling. I have directed the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to surge personnel and vehicles to shut down six points of entry along the southern border to stop these caravans from overrunning our state,” Gov. Abbott said in a statement.
“The border crisis is so dire that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos. Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans.” the statement continued.
Abbott’s office issued another statement later on Thursday, after it says the Biden administration reversed the governor’s decision to close the points of entry.
“Six hours after U.S. Customs and Border Protection requested help from Texas to close ports of entry and secure the border, the Biden Administration has now flip-flopped to a different strategy that abandons border security and instead makes it easier for people to cross illegally and for cartels to exploit the border,” Abbott’s office said. “The Biden Administration is in complete disarray and is handling the border crisis as badly as the evacuation from Afghanistan.”
The new statement went on to say Abbott has directed Texas DPS and Texas National Guard to instead “maintain their presence at and around ports of entry to deter crossings.”
Earlier Thursday, during the first weekly Operation Lone Star briefing with Texas Department of Public Safety, Lt. Chris Olivarez said, “Before I came here today, my last instructions are we’re going to shut down all the [points of entry] in Del Rio. That is the plan as of now.”
“The migrants are coming to the POEs. So we’re going to link up with our partners, and we’re going to shut down those POEs, we’re going to make it difficult for anybody to come across,” Olivarez explained.
A reporter followed up, asking, “You’re not talking about actually shutting down the legal trade and travel or across the bridge?”
“Possibly. So we’re gonna make it difficult for those migrants coming across. Again, more to come,” Olivarez responded.
Nexstar has reached out to DPS for more details on the orders, as well as CBP.