A large group of roughly 300 illegal immigrants crossed the southern border together from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, in Mexico to near Eagle Pass, Texas, overnight, according to video surveillance obtained by the Washington Examiner.
A short clip of internal Border Patrol surveillance shared exclusively Friday morning showed a long line of immigrants being pushed across the Rio Grande by Mexican cartel smugglers who guided the operation.
Scooplet — Large group of roughly 300 illegal immigrants crossed the Rio Grande from Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, into Eagle Pass, Texas, overnight. Video from source.
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) November 29, 2024
This comes seven weeks ahead of Inauguration.
CBP notes frequent large group crossings this fall, even… pic.twitter.com/yNtkJXyMVF
Since September and October, the Del Rio Sector of Border Patrol, including Eagle Pass, has seen several large groups crossing into the area weekly, according to information shared by the sector’s X account.
Del Rio Sector has seen a rise in large groups of undocumented migrants illegally entering the U.S. We have taken steps to ensure consistent application of consequences, regardless of how many people enter illegally. Smugglers lie – don't cross illegally! pic.twitter.com/IzNqIheR7a
— Chief Patrol Agent Robert Danley (@USBPChiefDRT) October 9, 2024
The immigrants appeared to be able to easily penetrate the border at this one particular spot in Texas, defying Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), who for three years has surged state resources to the state’s international border to crack down on illegal cross-border activity.
Abbott won a major victory in federal appeals court Wednesday, blocking federal Border Patrol agents from removing state-installed razor wire fencing along the border, including in Eagle Pass.
The federal agents had attempted in the past to cut through it and remove it in order to arrest and take into custody immigrants who were illegally crossing the border. The state had erected the barriers since 2021 to deter immigrants from illegally crossing the river and walking up the shoreline.
Abbott and President Joe Biden have been at legal odds over border enforcement for the last four years, but Abbott sees a partnership with incoming President-elect Donald Trump to enact an immigration crackdown.
Trump’s incoming border czar, former Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting Director Tom Homan, visited the border in Eagle Pass earlier this week alongside Abbott.
Homan touted that the two would work together closely following four years of backdoor partnerships between the feds and state given the contrasting politics of a Democratic White House and a Republican-governed state.
Homan said planning for the promised mass deportation was already underway.
“Let me be clear: There is going to be a mass deportation because we just finished a mass illegal immigration crisis on the border,” Homan said. “We’re not waiting until January to secure this nation at the highest levels this nation has ever seen.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The borders are being watched closely during the transition period between the November election and Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, 2021. Four years ago, the number of immigrants who attempted to enter the United States illegally increased after the election, and immigrants arriving at the border in Biden’s first few weeks showed up with signs and shirts that featured “Biden” on them.
Immigrants who arrived then believed the Trump administration’s blunt approach to border security would unravel with the arrival of Biden. However, they now fear the opposite as Trump prepares to take office.