Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced plans to build a military camp at the border with Mexico to house up to 1,800 soldiers of the National Guard. This comes as part of the state’s effort to increase security along the border.
The camp will be constructed in the area of Eagle Pass, the same border area where Governor Abbott ordered the placement of a buoy barrier over the Rio Grande. This move has sparked a dispute with President Joe Biden’s administration.
During a press conference at the site of the camp, Abbott stated that the project will increase the capacity of Texas military personnel to operate more effectively and efficiently in the area. He emphasized that the new facilities will improve living conditions for the soldiers and boost morale.
The governor justified the construction of the camp due to the magnitude of the operation and the need to expand it, especially with the expected influx of caravans in the spring. Abbott also warned that Texas is not the right place for migrants to come, reinforcing his commitment to preventing illegal crossings.
This camp is part of a broader effort by Abbott to prevent migrants from crossing the border illegally, which has included placing barbed wire and a barrier of buoys in the Rio Grande. These measures have drawn criticism from the government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Additionally, the Texas government recently took control of a municipal park in Eagle Pass, where law enforcement agents are not allowed, in order to process migrants crossing the river and hopes to install more barriers.
The first phase of the military camp is expected to be completed by April, providing around 300 beds for the soldiers. It remains to be seen how this move will impact the ongoing border security situation and the broader immigration debate in the United States.