EAGLE PASS, Texas (KXAN) — Construction is underway for a “base camp” that will house hundreds of Texas National Guard members serving on the state’s border security initiative, according to an announcement Friday by the governor.
Gov. Greg Abbott held a news conference at an 80-acre lot in Eagle Pass, the border community that’s become the center of an ongoing fight between state leaders and the federal government over immigration enforcement. He spoke in front of a large sign that read “future home of Texas Military Department forward operating base.”
He explained the new facilities will be able to house up to 1,800 soldiers and potentially expand to sleep 2,300 if the “state has surge needs.” The first phase of construction, which involves building spaces for 300 beds, is expected to be completed by mid-April.
Abbott did not share Friday how much it’s going to cost the state to finish building out this base camp. He only said the financial impact of the project would be “minimal” because it would allow the National Guard members to operate from one place instead of hotels and other facilities spread across different areas. He added this will allow the state to consolidate forces and “amass a large army in a strategic area.”
“This will improve the quality of conditions and lower the cost of conditions, so this is going to be a win-win for the National Guard and the state of Texas,” Abbott said.
This project is moving forward, though, at a time when the reported number of migrants crossing illegally is decreasing. Abbott and other state leaders noted Friday the crossings have dropped to 1% of what was reported just a month ago. They attributed this decline to the state’s border security efforts, including the promise of placing more razor wire along the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass.
“If we don’t maintain and expand our defense, those migrants and cartels will exploit those openings,” Abbott said.
Major Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the adjutant general of Texas, told reporters Friday that the base camp will have individual rooms for soldiers along with a dining hall, fitness center and laundry facilities.
Past trips to Eagle Pass
Abbott recently led two high-profile delegations to Eagle Pass. He hosted a Feb. 4 briefing with more than a dozen Republican governors from across the country. He thanked them for supporting Texas in its ongoing dispute with the Biden administration over the state’s authority at the border.
On Feb. 8, he went back there with several Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives. Most of the lawmakers represented districts far from south Texas, but they said the people they represent know the importance of stopping illegal immigration goes far beyond the border.
About a month ago, the Supreme Court narrowly ruled against Texas for action taken in Eagle Pass. By a vote of 5-4, the justices allowed Border Patrol agents to cut or clear out concertina wire that the state put along the banks of the Rio Grande there to deter migrants from entering the U.S. illegally. The Justice Department argued the barrier impeded the U.S. government’s ability to patrol the border, including coming to the aid of migrants in need of help.
Abbott had authorized the razor wire as part of aggressive measures that he said were needed to curb illegal crossings from Mexico.
Friday’s news conference also comes a day after a federal court hearing over the state’s new novel immigration enforcement law. Senate Bill 4 faces a challenge by the Department of Justice and civil rights groups who argue the law is “plainly unconstitutional and anti-immigrant.”
The law, which is set to take effect on March 5, would empower state and local law enforcement to arrest suspected illegal immigrants and order them back across the border. The law creates a new state crime for crossing into Texas outside of a port of entry, punishable as a Class B misdemeanor. Repeat offenders could face a state jail felony, and state magistrate judges may order them to return to Mexico.
While the federal judge said Thursday he sympathized with Texas’ border challenges and affirmed the state is under pressure, he appeared skeptical of the state throughout its arguments and asked many questions throughout the hearing.
Counsel on both sides asked the judge to rule as soon as possible. The judge said he would carefully analyze the arguments and reach a decision with “plenty of time” before SB 4 goes into effect but added he has full expectations this case will end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.