The 80-acre base will have the capacity to house more than 1,800 Texas National Guard soldiers who are supporting Operation Lone Star. If the situation there becomes worse – which seems likely given the record-setting numbers of encounters registered lately – the facility can be expanded to house as many as 2,300 soldiers.
Abbott said: “Because of the magnitude of what we're doing, because of the need to sustain and actually expand our efforts of what we're doing, it's essential that we build this base camp for the soldiers.”
Eagle Pass has been a key location in the ongoing crisis, with the governor amassing national guard troops not only from Texas but also from other states whose Republican governors have sent support for setting up barriers and razor wire to keep illegals out of the country.
The urgently needed base, known as Forward Operating Base Eagle, will be up and running soon. By the middle of April, it should have 300 beds ready, with a further 300 beds being added each month after that, according to Texas Major General Thomas Suelzer.
It will have three command posts, a helicopter pad and rooms for storing weapons. The base will also be equipped with a dining facility that can accommodate 700 people, workout areas, medical services, laundry facilities, mental health facilities, Wi-Fi access and on-site movie theaters. Soldiers will be given individual rooms.
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The aim of the base is to increase and improve border security operations in Eagle Pass. Currently, Texas National Guard personnel are scattered across the area in cramped quarters, Abbott said, with many of them needing to travel long distances to get to work. Some are living in tents or hotels, while others are in private homes.
Last month, Border Patrol arrested more than 124,000 people, which is a shocking number but a notable drop from the record high of nearly 250,000 recorded in December. Eagle Pass in particular has seen significant declines, which Abbott and other Texas officials believe is a sign that their efforts at the border have been effective.
Governor Abbott stated: “This base camp is going to dramatically improve conditions for our soldiers. Texas would not be able to respond to President Biden's border crisis without the brave men and women of the Texas National Guard, and it is essential to build this base camp for them."
Razor wire and arrest authority are points of contention between Texas and federal government
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government can continue to cut down the razor wire Texas erected at the border in Eagle Pass. Governor Abbott took issue with the order, preventing federal agents from reaching the wire and installing even more wire as migrant numbers surge.
Texas also announced it plans to build new barriers to fortify the border in the Eagle Pass area. They will be placing more barriers going north and south of Shelby Park, which the state seized last month. They will bring in three fan boats to expand their river patrolling capacity. Additional radar and drone capabilities will also be added.
A new law is set to go into effect in Texas next month giving state authorities the power to arrest and deport individuals who have crossed the border illegally, but the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit trying to stop it from going into effect, and a ruling is expected before March 5.
There are currently 3,000 Texas troops deployed along the border with Mexico. In December, the number of migrants who unlawfully crossed the border exceeded 10,000 per day on multiple occasions.
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