Members of the US National Guard in the city of Eagle Pass (French)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the start of construction of a military base in the city of Eagle Pass near the border with Mexico to deter irregular immigration.
Abbott said in a press conference yesterday, Friday, that the base will accommodate up to 1,800 soldiers, with the possibility of expanding it to accommodate 2,300 soldiers.
The Republican governor had previously deployed thousands of National Guard troops to deter immigrants, and he also built a border wall, and this led to a confrontation between Republicans and Democrats over this issue.
The new Texas immigration law is scheduled to take effect on March 5, and allows state authorities to arrest and deport people suspected of crossing the border illegally.
For weeks, the United States has been witnessing an unprecedented influx of irregular immigrants, with the total income from US territory during last December alone reaching 300,000 people, i.e. a rate approaching 10,000 immigrants per day.
Since President Joe Biden took office in early 2021, record numbers of immigrants have crossed illegally into the country, including millions who have crossed into Texas.
Source: Al Jazeera + Reuters