Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state will build a new base near the banks of Rio Grande that will house more than 2,000 soldiers.
The base will be built on 80 acres in Eagle Pass, a few miles southeast of Shelby Park. Abbott said the base would increase the speed with which Texas National Guard members can respond to border crossings.
The facility will house up to 1,800 guard members, with the ability to increase capacity to 2,300. The governor also said the facility will have individual rooms for soldiers, a dining facility and recreational areas.
According to Kera News, the complex should be completed by fall, the facility would have a capacity of 300 beds by mid-April, and 3,000 additional beds will be added a month after that.
Abbott did not say how much the project would cost, but said the whole operation would save money in the long run by reducing the cost of housing. Last year, the Texas Legislature approved an additional $5.1 billion for border security, but this new project was not mentioned.
So far, Abbott’s attempts to secure the border under Operation Lone Star have cost the state billions of dollars since it began three years ago.
This project marks another escalation in Abbott’s feud with the federal government. Eagle Pass has become a center of tension in the dispute. In early January, the state took control of Shelby Park and denied U.S. Border Patrol agents access to perform their duties.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal agents should have access to border areas to cut through razor wire installed by the state, but state leaders have refused to comply.
Recently, a federal judge expressed concern about a Texas law that would give police the authority to arrest migrants for illegal entry, saying it would turn the U.S. into a confederation of states.
