Welcome to New York City? Video shows border patrol opening gates to allow illegal migrants through
EAGLE PASS, TEXAS: A shocking video has captured the moment Border Patrol agents opened the gates at the southern border to let illegal immigrants in just moments after the Texas National Guard had locked it.
Stunning footage captured armed agents from US Customs and Border Protection -- who directly take orders from the Joe Biden administration -- unlocking the barbed-wire fence and letting a group of asylum seekers through. After dozens filed past the gates and into the country, the agents finally shut the barrier as the Texas National Guard watched on helplessly. The clip has since sparked a strong backlash, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott branding the move "unbelievable" and blaming President Joe Biden's controversial border policies for the unprecedented influx.
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The video, obtained by Fox News, came amid reports of undocumented migrants leaving their homes in South America and trekking thousands of miles to enter the US. Officials have revealed that at least two million migrants are believed to have entered the country already this year, setting a disturbing national record in 22 years.
Abbott and some other conservative state leaders have been sending busloads of them up to New York in order to ease the pressure on their individual constituencies. However, this has caused New York Mayor Eric Adams to welcome the migrants and offload them into luxury hotels across the Big Apple.
The latest video was captured by Fox News' border reporting team, who employed drones to document the situation. They said it was the first time they had witnessed such a scenario and noted the differing approach toward illegal migrants by state and federal agencies. Fox's border correspondent Bill Melugin said it was the first time he had seen the Texas National Guard locking the gate and not letting the migrants in.
NEW: For the first time, we witnessed the TX National Guard close & lock a gate on private property at a major crossing area in Eagle Pass, denying entry to migrants who just crossed illegally & expected to be let in. Border Patrol then came w/ a key & let them in for processing. pic.twitter.com/S1fZaTJnEi
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 17, 2022
This was the moment Border Patrol arrived with the key and let the migrants in. The landowner allows both TX DPS/National Guard and Border Patrol to work here. The gate has always been left open in the past. TX is now closing it, & migrants have to wait for BP to be let in. pic.twitter.com/AR4S9Vn3qH
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 17, 2022
"Border Patrol opening gates etc to allow migrants in is not new," Melugin added. "They have to process migrants on US soil per federal law. What's new is TX is now closing the gate & denying entry at this major crossing location. Always open in months past, including this video I shot in May."
Border Patrol opening gates etc to allow migrants in is not new. They have to process migrants on U.S. soil per federal law. What’s new is TX is now closing the gate & denying entry at this major crossing location. Always open in months past, including this video I shot in May. pic.twitter.com/FfWWvoch6r
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) August 17, 2022
Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021 and deployed the Texas National Guard to the border. The operation has since ramped up with nearly 10,000 troops securing the border. The governor expressed outrage over the CBP's actions on Wednesday. "Unbelievable," he tweeted. "While Texas secures the border, the federal government is enabling illegal immigration. Biden's open border policies caused this crisis. The federal government must do its job & fix it," he added.
Unbelievable.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 17, 2022
While Texas secures the border, the federal government is enabling illegal immigration.
Biden’s open border policies caused this crisis.
The federal government must do its job & fix it. https://t.co/4yqR8uQMo8
Abbot is known for taking strong measures to deal with the border crisis and has amped his efforts amid record-breaking arrivals during his own re-election campaign ahead of the November election. The Republican leader launched a new policy this spring of bussing migrants from Texas to Washington DC in a bid to divert the problem directly to the nation's capital. He extended the program to New York City this month, with the Republican governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, following suit. At least 10,000 migrants have been bussed north so far.
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CBP agents under the Biden administration are reportedly told to focus on processing migrants instead of blocking their entry. Several agents have expressed their frustration at being reassigned from their border duties. "I know the policies of this administration are not particularly popular with US Customs and Border Protection, but that's the reality, and let's see what we can do within that framework," Alejandro Mayorkas, the Homeland Security secretary, brazenly told disgruntled CBP agents in a January address.