More Troops to Border; Detainees Released

Last week an additional 700 National Guard solders were sent to El Paso by Governor Greg Abbott.

The deployment includes infantry, scouts, medics, mechanics and more than 200 soldiers with the Texas Tactical Border Force.

A video from Operation Lone Star shows the Guard troops boarding a transport plane and then standing with riot shields along the border fence line.

The video also shows razor and concertina wire being transported by fork lifts and other heavy machinery.

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This all comes on the heels of a breach in the fence by migrants on the morning of March 21. Some of the migrants, mostly men and mostly from Venezuela, managed to cut through some of the fencing and razor barriers.

As a result of the confrontation, termed as a “riot” by Governor Abbott and others, many of the migrants were detained and booked on charges of “riot participation”.  We don’t know the exact number but an El Paso judge mentioned “hundreds of arrestees”…in his order to release them on their own recognizance.

El Paso Magistrate Judge Humberto Acosta made his ruling on March 31, Easter Sunday, which ordered the release of the migrants. Another hearing for even more migrants is scheduled for today, April 1, 2024.

Judge Acosta said during an online bond hearing that the El Paso District Attorney’s Office was not ready or able to proceed with detention hearing for each defendant.  According to Acosta, “hundreds” of the migrants were entitled to individual detention hearings within 48 hours…a time frame that expired on March 23.

“The DA’s office is telling me they are not ready to go”, remarked Acosta. “We’re going to release all these individuals on their own recognizance”.

The way this is playing out, it sounds like Governor Abbott needs to send 700 judges and lawyers to El Paso to back up the National Guard troops or else this catch and release routine will likely continue.