Three migrants, a woman and two children, drowned Saturday in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas – very recently the epicenter of the migrant crisis – just days after state authorities blocked the US Border Patrol from accessing miles of the US-Mexico border, according to a post on X by Rep. Henry Cuellar.

“This is a tragedy, and the State bears responsibility,” Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, said on X, formally known as Twitter.

The congressman said Border Patrol learned a group of six migrants were in distress in the Rio Grande at about 9 p.m. on Friday.

Border Patrol called the Texas Military Department, the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety but “were unsuccessful” at relaying the information by phone, Cuellar said in the social media post. Federal agents then went to the gate at Shelby Park, set up by Texas authorities, to provide the information, Cuellar said.

“However, Texas Military Department soldiers stated they would not grant access to the migrants – even in the event of an emergency – and that they would send a soldier to investigate the situation,” Cuellar said on X.

  • yeather@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/seeking-protection-how-us-asylum-process-works

    To be an asylum seeker in the United States you must apply for asylum at one of 328 official ports of entry or from within the country already. Unless rainfall has been really bad there is no legal port of entry underwater. This person is therefore an illegal immigrant breaking the law, not an asylum seeker following the laws of the country they wish to integrate into.

    https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/can-safe-third-country-agreements-resolve-asylum-crisis

    In addition, many are denied for breaking another asylum seeking rule. You must seek asylum in the closest safe country. In most cases for immigrants like the woman and childrent that is Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, Mexico, and El Salvador. Any “asylum seeker” going through safe countries to reach the US is breaking the law and is not a real asylum seeker. The US border patrol has no obligation to save people illegally entering the country through unsafe routes, endangering Americans.