With just seven weeks to go before the Biden government lifts Title 42 immigration order, Abbott has announced a series of measures to protect his country and combat the mass influx of migrants expected to cross the border this spring. “To help local officials – because communities are flooded with hordes of illegal immigrants landing by the Biden government – Texas provides chartered buses for these illegal immigrants who have landed in Washington, DC,” said the Republican. Wednesday. “We are sending them to the capital of the United States, where the Biden government will be able to more directly address the needs of the people who allow us to cross our borders,” he added. Shortly afterwards, Abbott signed an order directing the Texas Department of Emergency Management to lead the operation. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has announced tougher controls on commercial vehicles entering the U.S. border from Mexico. Callaghan O’Hare / Bloomberg via Getty Images Texas officials also said they would launch “increased military activity” on the southern border and install razor wire at a low level along the river to prevent migrants from crossing. Flanked by Texas troops in the border town of Weslaco, Abbott acknowledged that additional inspections of commercial vehicles near U.S. ports of entry would “dramatically slow down” the flow of vehicles entering the county. After the governor’s press conference, MP Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said Abbott was “clearly trying to support DC lawmakers” on the issue. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has promised to send charter buses full of undocumented immigrants to Washington, DC. SERGIO FLORES / AFP through Getty Images Abbott announced many other measures, including inspections of commercial vehicles entering the state from Mexico, as many of them, the governor claimed, were “smuggling immigrants and other illegal cargo to Texas and our roads.” The Texas Department of Public Safety will conduct “enhanced security inspections” as vehicles pass through international entry points. While Abbott acknowledged that the measure would “dramatically slow down traffic from Mexico,” he said it would “immediately help ensure that Texans are not in danger.” Border agents called for help to deal with a possible influx of undocumented migrants.John Moore / Getty Images In addition, the Republican revealed that from Thursday the National Guard will begin the “first phase of the mass immigration rehearsal”, to prepare for the expected increase in population across the borders later this spring. Abbott said the National Guard troops would be equipped with riot gear to prevent “possible caravan violence”. The governor also announced that the state will apply roadblocks leading to border towns. Wednesday’s announcement is only the first step in a bilateral process of preparation for the removal of Title 42 in May, Abbott said, hinting that there will be additional announcements later this week. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott hopes the “Biden government” can accommodate immigrants from chartered buses. Brandon Bell / Getty Images “On the way from today to next week. “Texas will continue to evaluate, pressure and oppose the Biden administration’s open border policies and will announce additional action next week to respond to these unprecedented illegal border crossings.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that Title 42 will be lifted on May 23rd. First imposed in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, the order allowed border officials to immediately deport nearly 2 million immigrants who tried to enter the United States without hearing asylum. While local border officials have warned that the administration has “no plans” to prepare for the hundreds of thousands of migrants expected to cross the border, the Department of Defense confirmed to The Post on Wednesday that it would provide “some” support. In particular, the limited support will include the conclusion of contracts with 40 commercial buses for the transport of migrants from the border ports of entry to other sites for processing, as well as the presence of medical personnel on standby. The Pentagon also plans to provide “on-site locations at the Department of Defense’s military facility for processing migrants,” as well as providing housing for federal staff working on the mission if needed. Gov. Greg Abbott expects more car traffic at U.S. border crossings as border guards conduct more inspections.GUILLERMO ARIAS / AFP via Getty Images At the moment, the Pentagon has no plans to send additional troops directly to the border, but it seemed open to consider it. “The ministry has been supporting this mission under the leadership of the DHS since 2006, covering the Bush, Obama, Trump, and now the Biden administrations along the way. “If DHS sent a request for continued assistance across the border, the Department of Defense would look into it,” Defense Department spokesman Lt. Chris Mitchell told The Post. With Post cables
