U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar blames Operation Lone Star for recent chaos at the border

As chaos continues to unfold at the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar is placing the blame squarely on Operation Lone Star forces acting on behalf of Gov. Greg Abbott.

Dramatic footage from the border this week has shown multiple instances of crowds of migrants storming and dismantling fences and concertina wire barriers in U.S. territory at the southern border as they attempt to turn themselves into Border Patrol agents for immigration relief processing.

"Federal agents, Border Patrol agents, were not involved in the situation with the Texas National Guard," Escobar, D-El Paso, said during a news briefing March 22.

Escobar said she has received unconfirmed reports that the fracas was set off when Texas National Guard troops were attempting to separate families at the border earlier this week.

"I have not been able to get any confirmation of that," she said, "only because we haven't been able to speak with any eyewitnesses."

The same group of migrants, Escobar said, was taken into custody by Border Patrol agents with "no incident." She said that is because Border Patrol agents are trained to deal with such situations, whereas the Texas National Guard is not.

"For perspective, this really goes to show that Operation Lone Star is not helpful to the Border Patrol and it's not helpful with the challenge that we are seeing at the border," she said.

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The initial incident occurred on Thursday, when hundreds of migrants tore through concertina wire barriers along the border in hopes of being processed by Border Patrol. They were met with Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety troopers who Abbott credited with taking control of the chaotic situation.

"About the surge of illegal immigrants in El Paso," Abbott wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on March 21. "The TX National Guard & Dept. of Public Safety quickly regained control & are redoubling the razor wire barriers. DPS is instructed to arrest every illegal immigrant involved for criminal trespass & destruction of property."

The turmoil continued on Friday when another crowd of migrants could be seen tearing down barriers on U.S. soil along the border as Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers looked on from positions just north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The razor wire barriers, in most cases, are installed in an area between the U.S.-Mexico boundary line and the border fence.

For now, Escobar said she is largely left in the dark — as long as the Texas National Guard troops and Department of Public Safety troopers are the ones on the frontlines engaging incoming migrants. She said her office is receiving no information for state officials.

She said she has repeatedly called on Abbott to suspend Operation Lone Star.

El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks said 425 migrants illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso during a clash with Texas National Guard soldiers. His office continues to monitor the situation.

There was at least one person arrested for assaulting a national guardsman and an investigation is underway regarding other people who were involved in "assaultive behavior," Hicks said.

"I will say this, if you assault our national guardsmen, or our law enforcement, our Border Patrol, or our troopers, if you assault them, you will face prosecution," Hicks said. "Criminal trespassing is one thing. It's not assaultive behavior, but we cannot tolerate people thinking that they can assault our national guardsmen, can assault our Border Patrol, can assault our troopers and get away with it."

Hicks said he is working with state and local enforcement officials but does not control who they arrest and what charges the migrants were detained on. However, Hicks said prosecutors have the deciding say on what cases his office will prosecute with a focus on violent crimes.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Chaos mounts as Texas National Guard, DPS confront migrants in El Paso