Footage released by Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin appears to show a U.S. soldier opening a gate to private property in Texas for illegal migrants.
“Security video from a contact in Eagle Pass, TX shows a large group of migrants crossing illegally onto private property this morning. Crossings have been down big in Texas last few days, but are expected to rise again as cartels/smugglers figure out the post T42 border,” Melugin wrote.
“I asked the Texas National Guard if this is one of their soldiers who opens the gate for the group of migrants. They tell me she is NOT a TX soldier & is not TX ARNG. I’m told she is a Title 10 soldier from the Missouri ARNG under orders from the federal gov & working w/ BP,” Melugin added.
Watch the footage below:
I asked the Texas National Guard if this is one of their soldiers who opens the gate for the group of migrants. They tell me she is NOT a TX soldier & is not TX ARNG. I’m told she is a Title 10 soldier from the Missouri ARNG under orders from the federal gov & working w/ BP. pic.twitter.com/zKWy121u1K
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 16, 2023
“Any idea who’s in the airboat?” a Twitter user asked.
“That’s Border Patrol,” Melugin answered.
That’s Border Patrol
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 16, 2023
It appears the government is making every effort to facilitate illegal migrants into the country and make crossing the border as easy as possible.
From the New York Post:
In just over a minute, dozens of people casually walk through the opening — with others still slowly walking toward it as the clip ends.
As they enter, a small craft watches from the river, which Melugin said was the Border Patrol.
The same female soldier who appeared to have opened the gate then comes back into the frame, calmly watching the new arrivals as a white bus pulls up with another vehicle behind.
Melugin said the clip, from early Monday, “shows a large group of migrants crossing illegally onto private property.”
However, once on US soil, migrants cannot be turned away, with the law being broken when they enter the country, before reaching the gate.
The Texas National Guard denied the soldier was one of its troops — instead saying it was “a Title 10 soldier from the Missouri [Army National Guard]” under orders from the federal government and working with the Border Patrol, Melugin tweeted.
US Northern Command said that its service members are stationed at the border only in support of Border Patrol, whose agents would be the only ones able to open the gate.
“Illegal crossings in Texas have fallen off a cliff in the last 48 hours since T42 expiration. After a peak of 3,300 on 5/8 in the RGV earlier this week – under 500 in RGV last 24 hours. El Paso big drop too,” Melugin reported.
Melugin cited these factors as reasons for the drop in illegal crossings over the past few days:
- More enforcement from Mexico
- Texas blocking entry
- Migrants going to ports of entry
“CBP contacts tell me they do not expect this lull to last. They expect numbers to crank back up again – but not to the record setting levels we saw this week of 10,000+ per day,” Melugin added.
CBP contacts tell me they do not expect this lull to last. They expect numbers to crank back up again – but not to the record setting levels we saw this week of 10,000+ per day.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 14, 2023
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