The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to investigate and assess the situation at the Texas-Mexico border after reports of alleged mistreatment of migrants.
The situation comes after Texas troopers were supposedly told to push back migrants at the border into the Rio Grande and were ordered not to provide them water. The DOJ called the reports "troubling."
Mistreatment of Migrants at Texas-Mexico Border
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the DOJ, Xochitl Hinojosa, said that the department was already aware of the troubling reports. She noted that they are now working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other relevant agencies to assess the current situation at the border.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's office released a joint statement on Tuesday, along with other top officials from the state, including Department of Public Safety Chief Steve McCraw, that said there were no orders or directions given under Operation Lone Star that would compromise the safety of the people who were trying to cross the border illegally, as per CNN.
But United States President Joe Biden's administration has repeatedly criticized Abbott's handling of the US southern border and the Republicans' decision to transport migrants to Democratic-led cities without proper coordination.
Previous reports also revealed that the DHS and the DOJ were working together in discussions of what actions they could take against Texas. On Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Abbott's actions at the border a "political stunt," branding them as "shameful."
Jean-Pierre said that when she heard the unsettling reports, she was reminded again of how inhumanely Abbott has treated the immigrants at the border, calling the situation atrocious. She added that nothing was surprising about the situation.
The issue at hand came to light after an email from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) was shared with multiple media outlets. The correspondence detailed a state trooper-medic's concerns from their time working on the Eagle Pass portion of the border, according to The Hill.
Defining Issue in US Politics
The joint statement issued by Abbott's office noted that the Texas DPS and Texas Military Department were continuing to take steps to monitor migrants who were in distress. It noted that they continued to provide medical attention when needed and encouraged them to use one of the 29 international bridges along the Texas-Mexico Border, where they will be safe while crossing legally.
The correspondence, who was identified as paramedic and trooper Nicholas Wingate, said that he truly believed in the mission of Operation Lone Star. He cited his reasoning as securing the border from "bad people."
However, he said that they, at one point, crossed a line, which prompted him to come out with details of the unsettling situation at the border. Wingate said that there is a need to recognize that migrants are people who need to be treated as human beings.
Abbott's statement also noted that Texas was deploying every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings between ports of entry. Aljazeera said that this defended the state's use of concertina wire, also known as razor wire, to prevent crossings.
