Texas seizes riverfront park in Eagle Pass to curb onslaught of illegal aliens

Texas seized control of a 47-acre municipal park in Eagle Pass Wednesday evening under an emergency declaration from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in an effort to stem the flood of illegal aliens into the state. Shelby Park, which was previously privatized as part of Operation Lone Star, adjoins a high-traffic portion of the Rio Grande where Abbott deployed his floating wall to the Biden administration's chagrin.

Along with the public and illegal aliens, federal Border Patrol agents are not permitted to enter the park except to remove their remaining equipment and supplies.

"As caravans of migrants are moving through Mexico toward the U.S. border, we are making clear that Texas will be a tough place to cross," Abbott said Thursday evening.

The move came one month after the renewal of Abbott's May 2021 border disaster declaration and just days after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the shocking admission that federal immigration authorities release over 85% of the illegal aliens they detain.

Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas noted in a video shared to Meta Wednesday evening that he received a call from Victor Escalon, South Texas regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, indicating the state planned to take "full control" of the park. Sure enough, Humvees rolled in just before midnight and state agents blocked entrances to the park, reported Texas Public Radio.

"They tell me that the mission is to prevent undocumented people from crossing into Eagle Pass," Salinas said during a press conference Thursday. "That is not something that the city wanted, requested, asked for."

Under the direction of the DPS, Salinas reportedly signed an affidavit in June 2022 declaring Shelby Park his personal property, enabling the state to close the park to the public, to install defensive wire and obstacles along the riverbank, and to arrest illegal aliens caught skirting through.

While the Eagle Pass City Council voted in August 2023 to rescind the affidavit, wresting the park from Operation Lone Star and making it public once again, Salinas reinstated the authorization for the DPS one month later and signed a declaration of emergency over the migrant crisis.

Salinas indicated Thursday he was told that the state was taking control of the park "indefinitely" under the border disaster declaration.

Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said in a statement obtained by The Hill, "Texas is holding the line at our southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti-climb barriers to deter and repel the record-high levels of illegal immigration invited by President Biden's reckless open border policies. Instead of enforcing federal immigration laws, the Biden Administration allows unfettered access for Mexican cartels to smuggle people into our country."

"Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS troopers, and more barriers, utilizing every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden's ongoing border crisis," added Eze.

The Hill indicated Customs and Border Protection officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The National Border Patrol Union said in a statement obtained by Fox News' Bill Melugin, "Governor Abbott is not harming Border Patrol operations, he is enhancing them. His seizing control of Shelby Park allows our agents to deploy to troubled spots that experience high numbers of gotaways. Governor Abbott’s actions should be seen as a force multiplier."

The Texas Military Department stated, "The Texas National Guard has maintained a presence with security points and temporary barrier in Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area."

Over 300,000 illegal aliens stole into the U.S. in December, the highest monthly tally on record, reported CBS News. Not including border crossings this month or the multitudes of migrants whose entries have already gone unreported, that puts the total for this fiscal year at over 800,000.

2.47 million, 2.37 million, and 1.73 million illegal aliens entered the United States in fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!