The administrations of President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have reached an agreement that permits the Texas National Guard to make immigration arrests. Amelia Jones of FOX 4 discussed the change with a constitutional lawyer.
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Texas National Guard soldiers are now able to make immigration arrests under a new deal with the Trump administration.
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The arrests by the Texas National Guard are allowed while under Customs and Border Protection supervision.
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Gov. Abbott says the arrests are allowed to begin immediately.
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Texas National Guard soldiers are now able to make immigration arrests under a new deal with the Trump administration.
-
The arrests by the Texas National Guard are allowed while under Customs and Border Protection supervision.
-
Gov. Abbott says the arrests are allowed to begin immediately.
Texas National Guard members will be able to make immigration arrests thanks to an agreement made by the Trump administration and the state of Texas.
Texas National Guard troops deputized to make arrests
We know:
Governor Greg Abbott stated on social media that he and Customs and Border Protection had reached an agreement and that the arrests could begin “effective immediately.”
Abbott shared images of Texas DPS troopers assisting Border Patrol agents at Anzalduas Park, which is close to the border, on social media on Monday night.
[Source: Governor Greg Abbott]
As long as a U.S. immigration official or Border Patrol agent is present, Texas National Guard personnel would have the authority to make an illegal arrest.
The names and titles of the officers authorized to make the arrests must be provided by the Texas National Guard. The power to make arrests can be withdrawn by any CBP official.
The agreement, according to Governor Abbott, will “boost manpower for border security.”
Since Governor Abbott began Operation Lone Star in 2021, the Texas National Guard has maintained a presence along the border.
The state was irritated at the time by the federal government’s inaction.
Without the authority to make arrests on their own, the troops have erected obstacles and primarily assisted federal border agents.
What is unknown to us:
The number of Texas National Guard members who will cooperate with federal law enforcement is still unknown.
Look more closely:
The Memoradum of Understanding is available for your review below.
Is it legal?
What they’re saying:
According to Dallas-based constitutional law expert David Coale, the joint agreement is treading carefully on the boundaries of what the National Guard is permitted to do by law.
“The Posse Comitatus Act, a federal law that dates back to after the Civil War, expressly forbids the deployment of the federal military to uphold American laws. Coale clarified, “This memorandum treats the National Guard as a state force under the governor’s control, and that’s right, it’s a state military force, unless the president federalizes it for some reason so he can instruct them.”
He claims that although the agreement makes it clear that the National Guard is governed by state law, it becomes murky when it comes to their newfound authority to execute federal immigration law.
Lawsuits between the federal government and state governments have focused on this topic.
“I haven’t seen this before, because the state and federal governments don’t ordinarily work together this well, and there are a number of legal constraints that we’ve always kind of assumed states have on the their power to let their police enforce federal immigration law,” Coale stated.
“Only time will tell if the changes will work,” Coale says.
“This is a temporary measure. The memo is written as a quick fix. We should send some people to the field. Let’s just move this along. “It’s a kickoff,” Coale explained.
Trump Administration deportations
As ICE operations increased nationwide, dozens of arrests were made around Dallas-Fort Worth. In an effort to allay concerns within the immigrant community, Michael Igo, the interim police chief for Dallas, sent a message.
Overview:
President Trump released ten executive orders to restructure U.S. immigration law and policy on the first day of his second term.
In the first week of Trump’s administration alone, about 7,300 illegal immigrants were deported by federal officials.
On January 23, a Department of Homeland Security directive authorized the Department of Justice’s law enforcement officers to conduct investigations and detain individuals who are in the nation unlawfully.
The Source: The Trump Administration, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and FOX News Digital are the sources of the information in this article.
