Texas Gov. Abbott warns migrants of alligators in Rio Grande

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

“CROSS AT YOUR OWN RISK,” WARNS TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT TO MIGRANTS CROSSING THE BORDER — “ALLIGATORS ARE IN THE RIO GRANDE.” 

HIS WARNING FOLLOWS A LOCAL FISHERMAN’S RECENT ENCOUNTER WITH AN ALLIGATOR, REINFORCING PREVIOUS WARNINGS FROM THE BORDER PATROL ABOUT THE RIVER’S MANY DANGERS.

RECENT FOOTAGE CAPTURED BY THE BORDER PATROL NEAR EAGLE PASS IN 2019 ILLUSTRATES THE LONG-STANDING PRESENCE OF ALLIGATORS IN THE AREA. 

LAGUNA ATASCOSA WILDLIFE REFUGE — THE LARGEST PROTECTED AREA IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY — NOTES THEIR PRESENCE IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY SINCE AT LEAST 1898.

IMMIGRATION REFORM HAS BEEN A CONTENTIOUS TOPIC FOR DECADES — IN 20-11 DURING A SPEECH NEAR THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA HIGHLIGHTED HIS ADMINISTRATION’S BORDER SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS, INCLUDING INCREASED PATROLS AND ADVANCED CARGO SCREENING. HE MOCKED GOP CALLS FOR EVEN STRICTER MEASURES, JOKINGLY SUGGESTING THEY MIGHT WANT A “MOAT WITH ALLIGATORS.”

Barack Obama

“Now they’re gonna say we need to quadruple the Border Patrol or they’ll want a higher fence, maybe they’ll need a moat, maybe they want alligators in the moment they’ll never be satisfied and I understand that, that’s politics.”

AT A JANUARY HEARING ON THE IMPEACHMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, CALIFORNIA REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT GARCIA CRITICIZED DONALD TRUMP’S PROPOSED BORDER SECURITY MEASURES, INCLUDING THE IDEA OF ALLIGATOR-FILLED MOATS. DISPLAYING A PICTURE OF A LARGE ALLIGATOR, GARCIA UNDERSCORED THE ABSURDITY OF SUCH SUGGESTIONS. 

TRUMP HAS DENIED THESE CLAIMS AS FAR BACK AS 20-19.

THIS RECENT RHEOTIRC COMES AMID DISPUTES WITH PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN OVER WHAT HE CALLS ENCROACHING BORDER POLICIES. ABBOTT HAS WARNED AGAINST THE ADMINISTRATION’S ATTEMPTS TO HALT TEXAS’S AGGRESSIVE BORDER MEASURES DESIGNED TO DETER ILLEGAL CROSSINGS.

TEXAS HAS IMPLEMENTED A 1,000-FOOT FLOATING BARRIER IN THE RIO GRANDE THROUGH OPERATION STAR TO CURB ILLEGAL CROSSINGS FROM MEXICO.

A U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE HAS ALLOWED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S LAWSUIT, WHICH ARGUES THAT THE BARRIER VIOLATES ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS GOVERNING WATERWAYS. HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR MAY.

EARLIER THIS MONTH ABBOTT PRAISED THE NATIONAL GUARD’S EFFORTS FOR INSTALLING MORE THAN 120 MILES OF RAZOR WIRE ALONG POPULAR ENTRY POINTS ON THE SOUTHERN BORDER.

CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION OFFICIALS CLAIM RAZOR WIRE ISN’T EFFECTIVE AND CAN EASILY BE CUT THROUGH. 

FURTHER REINFORCING BORDER SECURITY, TEXAS IS CONSTRUCTING AN 80-ACRE MILITARY BASE CAMP IN EAGLE PASS TO ACCOMMODATE UP TO 2,300 NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS. 

OPERATION LONE STAR HAS DEPLOYED THOUSANDS OF NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS ALONG THE BORDER — STATES LIKE IOWA, NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA HAVE OFFERED NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO VOLUNTEER FOR DEPLOYMENT TO TEXAS,

EARLIER THIS MONTH, 35 TROOPS FROM NEBRASKA WERE DEPLOYED TO TEXAS FOR A 90-DAY ROTATION AS PART OF THE LATEST DEPLOYMENT.