A shocking viral video apparently showing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent cutting razor wire to allow illegal migrants into the country drew a response from the federal government.
The footage was posted Friday by Fox News’ Bill Melugin, who said it came from a source in Eagle Pass, Texas. It showed the officer cutting wire installed by Texas in order to allow a procession of migrants to enter the U.S.
Melugin initially reported that Texas officials said the video was the first that state officials knew of the incident. He added that it was being “looked into” for possible destruction of property.
According to clarification from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the agency had permission from the private property owner to install the wire and arrest migrants for trespassing.
And a CBP official reported that a Border Patrol boat encountered a group entering from the Mexican side that included several small children. They explained the wire was cut to apprehend the migrants and get them out of the heat.
NEW: Video from source in Eagle Pass shows Border Patrol cutting through razor wire placed by the state of TX to allow migrants to enter & be processed after crossing illegally. @TxDPS tells me this is the first time they know of this happening, and that it’s being looked into… pic.twitter.com/jESPbzj9sw
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) June 30, 2023
An agency spokesperson said the agents were fulfilling their responsibility to enforce federal laws. “The individuals had already crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico, were on U.S. soil, and are subject to U.S. immigration laws.”
They added that the individuals were then under the “lawful pathways rule, which places common-sense conditions on asylum eligibility.” If there is no legal basis to remain in the country, according to the statement, they will be removed.
Of course, under President Joe Biden’s catch-and-release border policy, the chances of removal are slim at best.
Everyone from human smugglers to fentanyl carriers are likely to be found crossing unimpeded between official ports of entry. This is a threat to national security that official Washington increasingly turns a blind eye to.
Texas began installing this wire in January to protect “high-traffic areas for illegal crossings at the Texas-Mexico border.” This came in response to the White House’s notoriously weak immigration control.
According to a Twitter post by Melugin, the national government’s position on illegal migrants is that once they step foot on U.S. soil, they cannot be turned back. Instead, they must be processed.
That is a far cry from the actions by Texas such as installing the razor wire. The state specifically attempts to turn back illegal migrants and prevent entry into the country much in the same manner that former President Donald Trump undertook with the building of the wall.
