Texas National Guard Given Authority to Arrest Illegal Aliens
Richard Moorhead
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Soldiers of the Texas National Guard began a border security operation in which they are authorized to arrest illegal aliens, in what actually represents a first for Guard personnel activated by a state government for a mission of its kind.
The Guard soldiers are authorized to make border arrests on state charges of trespassing. They don’t have federal immigration authority, but the state charges could very well ensure that illegal migrants face an even stricter punishment than they would under President Biden’s ‘catch and release’ and ‘America Last’ border and immigration policy.
Texas has buffed criminal penalties for criminal penalties in an area of a emergency declaration to 180 days of jail time, in a move that will serve as a deterrent for criminal aliens. The state can’t process illegal aliens for deportation.
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw confirmed to the Center for Immigration Studies that Governor Greg Abbott will deploy as many as 3,000 soldiers for the border mission, who will work closely with Texas DPS. The personnel have received additional training in police and use of force tactics, with cartel operatives and armed human smugglers known to operate in the Rio Grande border region of southern Texas. Soldiers will be authorized to used lethal force, and will receive training on rules of engagement specific to the border.
States such as Arizona and Texas have utilized their state National Guard for border missions before, but this operation may represent the most responsibility a state National Guard has been given for border law enforcement before. Guard personnel have traditionally worked with Customs and Border Patrol during border missions, an agency increasingly hamstrung by Biden administration open borders policies.
“Nobody’s ever really used the guard before in this capacity,” McCraw said. “We’re going to use them to actually secure the border. The governor, the legislature, and the citizens of Texas have made it very clear; they want the border secure. It is good for our federal partner as well. The federal government should be thanking the state of Texas, and it’ll make the rest of the country safer as we increase the level of security.”
Guard personnel can arrest civilians deemed to engage in unlawful behavior, usually in circumstances that involve a declaration of emergency during ongoing riots.
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