McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Texas will build an operations base for up to 1,800 National Guard members in Eagle Pass, expanding the presence of soldiers in the border city where the state has clashed with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement, Republican Gov. “This will increase the ability for a larger number of Texas military department personnel in Eagle Pass to operate more effectively and more efficiently,” Abbott said. The mayor of Eagle Pass said the move at the start of January caught the city off guard and questioned the timing, given that crossings have fallen in recent weeks. The U.S. Justice Department last month asked the U.S. Supreme Court to order Texas to allow Border Patrol agents back into park. The Biden administration says Border Patrol agents use the park to monitor the river and to launch boats into the Rio Grande.

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Persons: Biden, Greg Abbott, ” Abbott, Abbott, General Suelzer Organizations: National Guard, Republican Gov, Texas National Guard, U.S . Border Patrol, Operation Lone Star, Texas Military Department, Texas, U.S . Justice, U.S, Supreme, Border Patrol Locations: McALLEN , Texas, Texas, Eagle, Rio, Shelby Park, U.S, Mexico, Rio Grande