Following tour of buoy barrier in Eagle Pass, Democratic congressmen call for federal investigation
After seeing the border buoys in Eagle Pass, Democratic Congress members called on the White House to investigate the actions of Texas troopers.
“I'm calling on the bidden administration to end all cooperation between Customs and Border Protection, and The Texas Department of Public Safety… at least until ongoing investigations to be completed into human and civil rights violations and the Department of Justice lawsuit against the state of Texas can be resolved,” U.S. Representative Joaquín Castro said at a Tuesday press conference.
The press conference was preceded by a tour of the border buoys on the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass more than a week after two bodies were recovered near the floating barrier.
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State Sen. Roland Gutierrez expressed concerns over the length of time migrants were spending in state jails after being caught near the border by DPS and charged with trespassing — a misdemeanor in Texas.
Last month, the Houston Chronicle reported that DPS troopers were ordered to push migrants back across the river. DPS said they would investigate those claims, but congressional members who visited the border said they don't believe a full investigation will be done.
The U.S. Justice Department is suing Abbott over the floating barrier.