September 27, 2021
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Law enforcement leaders raise staffing concerns at the border - KEYE TV CBS Austin

Migrants, many from Haiti, are seen at an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. The options remaining for thousands of Haitian migrants straddling the Mexico-Texas border are narrowing as the United States government ramps up to an expected six expulsion flights to Haiti and Mexico began busing some away from the border. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants, many from Haiti, are seen at an encampment along the Del Rio International Bridge near the Rio Grande, Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, in Del Rio, Texas. The options remaining for thousands of Haitian migrants straddling the Mexico-Texas border are narrowing as the United States government ramps up to an expected six expulsion flights to Haiti and Mexico began busing some away from the border. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

AUSTIN, Texas — In a month characterized by Gov. Greg Abbott and other state Republican leaders pounding the podium in demanding more arrests at the Texas-Mexico border, law enforcement leaders are telling state lawmakers they need more resources to keep up.

On Monday, the Texas House Committee on Corrections listened to invited testimony from law enforcement regarding jailing resources on the border.

"Overall, the system staffing is a huge challenge. It's the number one operational challenge we have in TDCJ," said Texas Department of Criminal Justice Executive Director Bryan Collier.

This call for more resources comes after Abbott and other Republicans have consistently slammed the Biden administration for their border policies and staffing, which have been more frequent in recent weeks during which more than 10,000 migrants camped under the International Bridge in Del Rio while they await processing and detention. The encampment has since been cleared.

The governor has repeatedly said Texas will take action to secure the border.

In June, Abbott announced the state was going to build its own wall. During the Del Rio surge, he sent DPS troopers and the Texas National Guard to points of entry to deter crossings.

"They're not going to secure the border. They're going to allow them to cross," Abbott said on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. "As opposed to 'catch-and-release,' Texas has imposed a policy where we're going to arrest and jail people who are coming across the border for trespassing into areas in the State of Texas."

"I think people don't understand when the director or yourself stand there and say, 'We don't have operational control of the border," said state Rep. James White, R-Hillister, who joined the governor on the Del Rio trip last week.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not yet have staffing statistics under the Biden administration so far. However, according to their data, the agency's staffing under former President Donald Trump was lower in each year than even the lowest-staffed year under former President Barack Obama - meaning staffing issues started long before Biden took office.

Law enforcement officials have largely lauded efforts taken by Abbott and other state leaders, but pointed out Monday they still need more resources.

"Asking the regional director in the Rio Grande Valley that deals with this everyday and has for some time, you ask him what is the one thing you need, and he says additional personnel and additional troops," said DPS Lt. Col. Freeman Martin, who is the deputy director of the agency's Homeland Security Operations.

Part of the $3 billion allocated towards border security measures accounts for additional staffing.

However, some officials who testified Monday also pointed out to state lawmakers resources are needed for the court process after the arrests.

"Under Operation Lone Star, we estimate there have been approximately 800 arrests in Kinney County over the past month. This is a 4,900 % increase in filings. Resources and funding are clearly needed to assist these counties with the resources they need to adjudicate these cases," said Office of Court Administration Interim Administrative Director Mena Ramon.

Lawyers told lawmakers they need help defending people who were arrested for crossing the border.

Texas Indigent Defense Commission Executive Director Geoff Burkhart said his organization faces three challenges: attracting attorneys to take these cases, funding, and hurdles to client visits.

"This touches on communication, but of course also on the access issue - making sure that we're getting interpreters and access to the clients, and they're just not meeting someone for the first time in court," Burkhart said. "Also making sure when we have public defender offices we're talking to, these are solid public defender offices with a track record of - again - not just getting somebody a warm body, but really bringing quality representation."

State lawmakers will continue putting a spotlight on the border, with a joint hearing between two committees on Wednesday focused again on this issue.



source: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/law-enforcement-leaders-raise-staffing-concerns-at-the-border

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