By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said his office would continue “pushing for accountability” on illegal immigration from the Biden administration.
Paxton made his comments during a press conference Tuesday near the Del Rio International Bridge, the site of a huge encampment of illegal immigrants in September. Paxton spent two days on the Texas-Mexico border earlier this week, meeting with landowners, elected leaders and law enforcement officials and making several border tours.
Joining Paxton at the press conference was Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, Texas Department of Public Safety Lt. Christopher Olivarez and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin. Paxton asked Martinez, Olivarez and McLaughlin to speak to the press first.
“For the last nine months, not only Val Verde County, but the southern border of Texas has seen unprecedented immigrants coming across. What we witnessed here three or four weeks ago, nothing like that has ever been seen. With the support of our state partners, local law enforcement, and other law enforcement from throughout the state, we were able to help our federal partners to bring this situation that we were faced with under control,” Martinez said.
“I hope that what we experienced here, nobody else does, but I can guarantee you that it’s coming, and some other community will be faced with what we experienced here three or four weeks ago,” the sheriff added.
Olivarez spoke about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiative.
“It’s a state initiative in which we deployed over 1,000 DPS personnel to the border. The vast majority are here in Del Rio, assisting our local partners, as well as our federal partners,” Olivarez told reporters.
“Right now also, we have troopers that are working on the ground, on ranches and in train yards, assisting some of these landowners and ranchers with some of these illegal immigrants who are coming across and violating state laws like criminal trespass, and we are arresting these individuals,” he said.
Olivarez said so far, Operation Lone Star has resulted in the arrests of 1,200 persons on criminal trespassing charges. He said the persons being arrested are those “that are avoiding detection and trying to get away.”
“I just want to thank Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton again for his support, for visiting the border once again. That is what needs to be done. We need to have more of these visits from official state reps, so they can have a better perspective of what’s taking place along the border, so we can provide more resources to help our communities,” Olivarez said.
McLaughlin spoke to reporters about the problems illegal immigrants are creating in his community, which is located about 70 miles east of Del Rio. Those issues at first included frequent high-speed chases, but the situation now is one of bail-outs and immigrants, some of whom are “murderers, pedophiles and rapists,” riding the trains moving through Uvalde, the mayor said.
Paxton said he spent time on the trip speaking with county, state and federal law enforcement officers, as well as members of the Texas National Guard, and elected leaders, landowners and business owners.
“What’s consistent across the board, and it doesn’t matter what party, what line of work, who they represent, we’re all united in hoping and praying that our government can stem the tide and stop what they’re doing, which is allowing this massive illegal immigration,” Paxton said.
Paxton also spoke about lawsuits his office has filed against the Biden administration on a range of issues related to illegal immigration.
“We’re pushing for accountability, and you’re going to see other lawsuits coming from us, to try and force the administration to do the right thing, which is merely protect our citizens and follow federal law,” he said.
Paxton took several questions from reporters before closing the press conference.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
