EDINBURG, Texas — As federal forces bolster their presence at the U.S.-Mexico border, Texas agencies are still on the ground helping with security efforts.
The federal government has deployed troops, the Coast Guard, and aircraft, and some Texas National Guardsmen have been authorized to make immigration arrests alongside Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.
Mike Banks, the former Texas border czar and new head of CBP, outlined the criteria for when federal forces might fully assume control when speaking to reporters in Edinburg this week:
While we’re seeing the numbers go down, the numbers are going down because of the amount of resources we’re putting on the border. So if we were just to turn around and immediately start removing those, it would be counterproductive. So what we’re doing is, as we’re rebuilding our forces inside the United States Border Patrol, we’re utilizing the Texas National Guard and the Department of Defense as a stopgap. What we can’t do is say, okay, we’ve got it under control, and then pull those resources out. So there [are] resources to be there until the Border Patrol feels that we can protect and defend the border and maintain operational control, or gain and maintain operational control. So they’ll be as long as we need them.
Banks defined ‘operational control’ as a situation where everyone crossing illegally is apprehended or no one crosses at all.
It’s a metric Gov. Abbott often uses when he speaks of border security.
Banks noted that CBP is working to increase its personnel numbers, currently at about 19,000, to meet the congressionally mandated 22,000.
He attributed the gap to low morale under the previous administration, which led to early retirements and departures.
However, Banks said there is now an influx of applications, and efforts are underway to streamline the hiring process.
For the reduced number of crossings, Banks credited the federal government, Texas, and international cooperation for maintaining low levels. He acknowledged the role of Mexican and Canadian troops in these efforts.
Texas leaders say their personnel are still busy despite the low crossing numbers.
Freeman Martin, Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, highlighted the evolving challenges as border security tightens.
“As the border becomes more and more secure and the numbers are less, you’re going to see an increase in violence,” Martin said to the Public Safety Commission last week. “It’s going to cost more to be smuggled into the United States, and there will be fewer large groups and more individuals trying to get through these ranches.”
Martin emphasized the importance of efforts like Operation Drawbridge, as well as the state’s aircraft, marine units, and brush teams.
Meanwhile, Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from South Texas and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, expressed concerns over potential federal budget cuts.
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Gonzales and the conference supported efforts to eliminate waste but warned against cuts that could impact border security.
Gonzales urged continued investment in completing the border wall, hiring and retaining border security personnel, and enhancing security technologies. He also called for increased ICE detention capacity and improved communication systems for law enforcement agencies affected by the border crisis.
