Texas officers were to be ordered to push migrants trying to cross the Mexican-American border into the river, according to an e-mail, the content of which was revealed by the Houston Chronicle. The message also indicates that barbed wire has been placed in the water, which has already led to several accidents.
The Houston Chronicle reported on July 17. The article quoted an email from early June that a Texas Department of Public Safety official allegedly sent to his supervisor. The text of the message mentions several previously unreported incidents that allegedly occurred at the Eagle Pass border crossing. The e-mail quoted by the daily shows that the officer who was its author was supposed to see at the border, among others, “a woman after a miscarriage who writhed in pain, entangled in barbed wire”, as well as “a 4-year-old girl who fainted in the heat from exhaustion after being moved away from the border by the officers”. As the Houston Chronicle explains, the author of the message suggests that the Texas services set “traps” for migrants in the deep water of the Rio Grande in the form of barrels wrapped and connected with barbed wire. The e-mail emphasized that having to avoid such obstacles increases the risk of drowning. The example of a teenager who broke his leg maneuvering between pieces of barbed wire was cited. It was not the border guards who were to pull him out of the water, but his father.
In the e-mail, the author appeals to the sergeant, among others, to remove these traps from the water. “Due to the extreme heat, the ban on distributing water to people should also be withdrawn immediately. I believe that we have crossed the line of inhumanity” – it was emphasized in the e-mail.
Buoys in the river separating Mexico and the USAPAP/EPA
Texas. Criticism of the authorities and services on the border
After the news came to light, the Texas authorities received a wave of criticism, USA Today reports. On July 18, a joint statement on this matter was issued by, among others, Texas Department of Public Safety Chief Steve McCraw and the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The statement said that as part of Operation Lone Star at the border, officers do not receive any orders that “would endanger the lives of people trying to cross the border illegally”.
The U.S. Department of Justice also spoke on the matter. – We are aware of the emergence of disturbing reports. We are working with the Department of Homeland Security and other relevant agencies to make a proper assessment of the situation,” U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa told CNN. CNN reminds that in the past the administration Joe Biden she has repeatedly criticized the Texas authorities for their policy towards migrants.
Texas, border with MexicoShutterstock
Houston Chronicle, USA Today, CNN
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