The Biden administration is demanding Texas grant federal agents access to the border after three migrants reportedly drowned in the Rio Grande River.
The deaths mark the latest tragic development in the escalating tensions between the federal government and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The victims were identified as a woman and two children.
The incident magnified the rift between Texas and federal officials over the issue of who has authorization and jurisdiction in that particular part of the Rio Grande area. The drownings occurred a few days after state authorities blocked the US Border Patrol from accessing several miles of the US-Mexico border near Eagle Pass.
The city was recently the epicenter of the migrant crisis, but the issue of whether or not the lack of access could have played a role in the deaths is still in dispute. Authorities with Mexico's National Institute of Migration identified the victims on Monday as 33-year-old Victerma de la Sancha Cerros, 10-year-old Yorlei Rubi, and eight-year-old Jonathan Agustin Briones de la Sancha, as per CNN.
The incident started with Border Patrol learning that six migrants were in distress in the Rio Grande at around 9:00 p.m. CT on Friday. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Democratic US Rep. Henry Cuellar said that officials called the Texas Military Department, the Texas National Guard, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
However, he noted that Border Patrol agents were "unsuccessful" in relaying the urgent information by phone. They then went to Shelby Park's gate, a city park on the Rio Grande that state authorities have blocked off with fencing, gates, and razor wire so that they could explain the circumstances of the incident.
Cuellar noted that the Texas Military Department's soldiers said that they would not grant access to the migrants even in the event of an emergency. They also noted that they would send a soldier to investigate the situation in the Rio Grande.
The situation has prompted the Biden administration to demand that Texas give federal agents access to the border. Department of Homeland Security General Counsel Jonathan Meyer sent a letter to Texas Attorney Ge. Ken Paxton, according to Yahoo News.
Border Access Issue
The letter noted that a combination of Texas National Guard soldiers, equipment, and physical barriers was unconstitutionally restricting Border Patrol access to roughly 2.5 miles of the US-Mexico border.
Meyer noted that the recent actions taken by the state of Texas "impeded operations" of the Border Patrol. He said that these actions conflict with the authority and duties of the Border Patrol under federal law.
The official's letter gave Texas a Wednesday deadline to "cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol's access in and around the Shelby Park area." It also demanded the removal of all barriers to accessing the US-Mexico border.
Meyer said that if the state does not comply, they will refer the matter to the Department of Justice so that it can take appropriate action and consider all other options available, according to ABC News.
