It has become increasingly evident that members of the Border Patrol, specifically those on the elite BORTAC team, defied orders from Uvalde police and breached the classroom the shooter was in at Robb Elementary School in order to stop the attack.
The local police appeared to believe the situation had turned from an active shooter to a "barricaded" subject despite 9-1-1 calls being made by children who were trapped inside the classroom with the shooter. If not for the Border Patrol agents, the shooter could have claimed more lives. Now, House Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee want to investigate the agents' role in killing the shooter.
"We commend the law enforcement personnel who responded to the shooting and acted to help save students and teachers and prevent further loss of life. At the same time, this tragedy raises questions about what authorities and responsibilities DHS personnel have in such situations, what agreements are in place related to the Department's law enforcement personnel providing support State and local law enforcement agencies, and whether the Department intends to bolster its school security efforts..." members of the committee wrote in a letter to DHS.
House Democrats intend to hold a hearing to determine exactly what legal authority Border Patrol/ICE agents had to have gotten involved in (and stopped) the Uvalde shooting and potential future incidents
— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) June 2, 2022
At the same time, Homeland Dems “commend” federal agents for saving the day pic.twitter.com/9xVZtBdWKo
Border Patrol agents and other immigration authorities have a strong presence in Uvalde since the town is only an hour away from the U.S.-Mexico border. Law enforcement personnel from the state of Texas has also increased in the wake of the ongoing crisis at the southern border.