Politics
By Bethany Blankley (The Central Square)
While Texas continues to resist major illegal border crossings with Mexico, illegal entries have increased in Arizona, California and New Mexico where similar policies are not being implemented, Texas officials say.
Through Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, National Guard soldiers worked to prevent illegal entry and Texas Department of Public Safety officers focused on interdiction. Where illegal entries occur, Texas DPS officers and other law enforcement members have arrested illegal aliens for committing trespassing or other state crimes they may be violating.
The goal is to block illegal entry and ensure consequences for those who get through, Abbott said, supported by state lawmakers.
“Illegal entry into Texas has consequences,” said border czar Mike Banks, which is why Mexican cartels and transnational criminal organizations are redirecting smuggling operations to Arizona, California and New Mexico, he added , indicating federal data.
Under Banks, Texas implemented a “POI strategy” to position, deter and interdict explained to the central square. “If you look at the number of illegal border crossings today, Texas accounts for 30 percent of them. The remaining 70% passes through Arizona, California and New Mexico. Why? Because they are not putting up Texas resistance.”
The U.S.-Mexico border is 1,954 miles long. Texas, which shares the longest border with Mexico at 1,254 miles, or 64% of the total, has historically had the highest number of illegal border crossings.
Texas also has the most CBP sectors of any state in the country with five. California and Arizona each have two. According to data from US Customs and Border Protection, only 40% of illegal entries into the El Paso sector of West Texas come from New Mexico. An unknown number of fugitives are illegally entering New Mexico, which has significantly fewer agents in the field due to several factors, officials said.
Gotways, those who intentionally enter illegally to avoid capture, are estimated to number more than two million nationwide as of January 2021, The Center Square has reported.
If you analyze the last few months, according to CBP data, illegal entries have increased in California and Arizona and have decreased significantly in Texas. The data refers only to Border Patrol apprehensions and excludes Office of Field Operations and escape data.
In Arizona, in November 2023, Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector reported 64,637 apprehensions of illegal border crossers; in the Yuma sector, 6,159. In December 2023, arrests increased to 80,184 in Tucson and 7,144 in Yuma. Arrests fell to 50,565 in Tucson and 3,735 in Yuma last month, according to the data.
In the winter months, illegal entries generally decrease, although in recent years they have been historically high compared to previous administrations.
In California, Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector apprehended 31,164 illegal border crossers in November 2023; in the El Centro sector, 1,787. In December 2023, arrests increased to 34,372 in San Diego and 2,222 in El Centro. In January they had fallen to 24,709 and 1,127 respectively.
In Texas, in November 2023, Border Patrol agents apprehended 22,405 illegal border crossers in the El Paso sector (of which 40% were from New Mexico, approximately 8,960), 427 in the Big Bend sector, 42,951 in Del Rio, 2,810 in Laredo, and 18,773 in the Rio Grande Valley.
In December 2023, three of Texas’ five sectors reported declines. El Paso and Del Rio saw increases. Agents in El Paso arrested 33,966 illegal border crossers (about 13,586 in New Mexico) and in Del Rio, 71,048. Big Bend dropped to 322 arrests, Laredo to 2,267 and the Rio Grande Valley to 18,210.
Apprehensions eased even further across the state last month after Abbott closed an area in Eagle Pass. In El Paso, more than 400 miles west of Eagle Pass, arrests fell by half; in the Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley sectors, according to the data, they decreased by about a third.
Last month, 17,515 illegal border crossers were apprehended in El Paso (about 7,006 in New Mexico), 324 in Big Bend, 16,712 in Del Rio, 2,193 in Laredo and 7,340 in the Rio Grande Valley.
Comparing the first quarter of fiscal 2024 to the first quarter of fiscal 2023, arrests increased nearly 74% in the San Diego sector of California and 182% in the Tucson sector of Arizona.
Apprehensions across all sectors of Texas have decreased compared to the same time period, even as fiscal year 2024 apprehensions nationwide reached the threshold highest ever recorded.
From the first quarter of fiscal year 23 to the first quarter of fiscal year 24, arrests in the El Paso sector decreased by more than 50%; in Big Bend by nearly 70%; in Laredo by 40%, in the Rio Grande Valley by 23% and in Del Rio by 1%.
“As soon as Texas gains control of an area,” Banks said, “we will hold that area and expand. We will gain, we will maintain, we will expand. We will block illegal entries into the state of Texas.”
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
