Texas governor launches tactical border force in anticipation of Title 42 expiration

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Texas Governor Greg Abbott unveiled the Texas Tactical Border Force on Monday, as the state braces for an influx of migrants due to the impending expiration of the Title 42 public health order, which has been instrumental in preventing migrants from entering the U.S.

Governor Abbott's decision to establish the Texas Tactical Border Force is a direct response to what he calls "Joe Biden's reckless border policies."

The Texas National Guard is mobilizing Black Hawk helicopters and C-130s, as well as deploying specially trained personnel to hotspots along the border. Their mission is to intercept, repel, and turn back migrants attempting to enter Texas illegally, as announced by Abbott during a press conference at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Fox News reported.

In a statement released on Monday, the Texas National Guard revealed that it has activated an additional 545 service members at various locations across the state to reinforce the border mission, in anticipation of the Title 42 immigration restrictions being lifted.

These added forces will strengthen the efforts of the thousands of Texas National Guard service members already working alongside local and state law enforcement agencies to secure the border and stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas. The Texas National Guard's expanded capabilities now include boat teams patrolling hundreds of river miles, drones and helicopters detecting illicit activity from the air, and brush teams, security points, and roving patrols that block and interdict illegal smuggling activities in Texas.

"President Biden is laying down a welcome mat to people across the entire world saying that the United States border is wide open, and it will lead to an incredible amount of people coming across the border illegally. President Biden’s open border policies is going to cause a catastrophic disaster in the United States," Abbott said. 

"According to the Biden administration itself, they anticipate about 13,000 people coming across the border illegally, every single day," he added. "If you extend that out over the course of a year, it means it will be about 4,700,000 people coming across the border a year. That will mean there will be more people coming across the border illegally than there are residents of the massive city of Chicago." 

The Texas Tactical Border Force is an extension of Operation Lone Star, which, according to Abbott, has already turned back 37,000 people who crossed the border illegally, arrested about 27,000 dangerous criminals including cartel gang members wanted for crimes such as murder, and seized enough fentanyl to potentially kill every person in the United States.