Tuesday saw the arrest of over 300 migrants in one group by Texas Army National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol Troopers. More than 400 people were detained by state officials for minor Rio Grande crossings throughout the day.
In the footage, state police are seen transporting migrants from the Rio Grande to a gathering spot where they are given water before being taken to their destination. This was one of two sizable migrant groups detained on Tuesday, according to a Texas DPS official.
Most of the adults in the group were single, while there were few family groups with young children present. The area has often experienced temperatures that are higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. In the video, several migrants can be heard pleading for water, and others seem to be struggling to move because of the heat.
Large migrant groups were escorted off of private property, according to the spokesman, and driven to the Eagle Pass Camino Real Port of Entry where Border Patrol would receive them. The spokeswoman claims that because Border Patrol must first process the migrants, Mexico won’t take them straight from Highway Patrol officers of the Department of Public Safety.
The migrants were waiting to be transferred to the Border Patrol at the Eagle Pass Camino Real Port of Entry. In response to a recent executive order signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the migrants will now be transported from the locations of detention to a designated port of entry along the border.
A number of Texas communities urged Abbott to declare the border situation an invasion, which is why the order was issued in response.
Early on Tuesday, the Border Patrol detained roughly 500 migrants in a single group.
