Texas Border Warning Issued That Migrants 'Have Become More Aggressive'

Border Patrol agents operating along the Texas-Mexico border have been warned migrants are becoming "more aggressive towards law enforcement" according to a memo from the Texas Department of Public Safety (TDPS) acquired by NewsNation.

The warning comes after a video showing migrants pushing their way through razor-wire and past several National Guard soldiers in El Paso, Texas, went viral on social media after being recorded by the New York Post on March 21.

Illegal migration across the southern border has become a major political issue with Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican 2024 presidential candidate, making it a key focus of his campaign as he vies for a second White House term. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 68,260 irregular migrants were encountered by law enforcement along the Texas-Mexico border in January following 149,806 encounters in December.

On Thursday, NewsNation southwest correspondent Ali Bradley read out what she said was a memo from the TDPS to border control agents concerning officer safety.

It said: "This situation now carries officer safety concerns, as migrants have become more aggressive towards law enforcement as they attempt to circumvent the border barriers and enter the U.S., according to law enforcement officers at the scene."

Bradley also said the TDPS memo warned that some migrants had been advised they "will face no consequences for escalating their violent tactics and trying to breach those barriers" and that this was contributing to the unrest.

Newsweek reached out to the TDPS and the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott by email at 6 a.m. ET on Friday. This article will be updated if either wishes to comment.

Nine migrants suspected to have been involved in the storming of border defenses at El Paso, Texas, have since been charged, according to the New York Post, which cited a state government source.

The paper said the charges include inciting a riot, assault on members of the Guard and property damage worth more than $2,500. One migrant, 21-year-old Honduran Junior Evaristo-Benitez, was charged with a third-degree felony after allegedly assaulting a public servant.

On Tuesday, Governor Abbott insisted Operation Lone Star, the border control operation he introduced in 2021, is working following the publication of U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures showing a significant fall in migrant crossings into the Lone Star State.

According to the data for the first five months of the 2024 fiscal year, running from October 2023 to February 2024, the number of encounters with suspected illegal migrants fell by 28 percent in Texas. During the same period, they increased by 35 percent and 52 percent, respectively, for California and Arizona.

The migrant crisis has sparked a surge in tension between Texan and federal authorities, with the Supreme Court ruling in January that federal agents can remove razor wire placed along the Mexican border by Texas National Guard troops on Abbott's orders.

In response Abbott claimed Texas was being subject to an "invasion" and asserted its "constitutional authority to defend and protect itself."

On March 19, Texas Senate Bill 4, a piece of state legislation signed by Abbott, was put on hold by a federal appeals court just hours after being approved by the Supreme Court in a 6-3 verdict. The legislation would allow Texan law enforcement to detain and deport illegal migrants causing controversy as this has typically been seen as a federal responsibility.