EL PASO, Texas — Jose Sanchez, the Texas Department of Public Safety regional director for the west, warned on Thursday how the expected influx of illegal immigrants entering the United States when Title 42 is no longer enforced will affect the rest of the country.
Sanchez noted that since Texas Highway Patrol troopers have been needed in large numbers at different spots along the Texas-Mexico border, it unfortunately has resulted in a decrease in manpower in other parts of the state.
"What [people] don't realize is that this border issue creates all kinds of problems, both north of the border and south of the border...Pulling troopers down from other areas to come down and work the border, pulls them out of the areas that they normally work. And a lot of those areas where they normally work, we're seeing an increase [in] traffic fatalities and also increased crime," Sanchez explained.
"So there's a lot of effects that a border crisis has. I don't think a lot of folks understand that. I don't think the federal government understands that. When you have all your resources on the border, we leave loopholes and porous areas and we have to pull one thing to protect another," he added.
That being said, Sanchez said Operation Lone Star, the state's mission to address the border crisis, has been essential to help out Border Patrol and local law enforcement from being completely overwhelmed. Texas Highway Patrol troopers have made thousands of arrests for human smuggling and trespassing on private property, people who might have gotten away for good.
Sanchez noted the thousands of people who are illegally crossing are not staying in border towns, they are headed north to other major cities, who say they are burdened by the influx of people who require lots of assistance.
Troopers and Texas National Guardsmen have been working hard to fill gaps in physical secrity barriers along the southern border to stem the flow of illegal crossings.
.@TxDPS & @TXMilitary have been working tirelessly in clearing out brush & placing concertina wire along the Rio Grande River in #Brownsville to repel illegal crossings between the ports of entry. Through Gov. @GregAbbott_TX’s Operation Lone Star, Texas is taking unprecedented… pic.twitter.com/R3TiLtzpbL
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) May 11, 2023
The Texas Tactical Border Force continues to work constructing barriers to deter illegal migrants along the Rio Grande River. pic.twitter.com/8oWHAiUVhb
— Texas Military Dept. (@TXMilitary) May 11, 2023
Title 42 is expiring tonight and a greater surge is expected once it becomes Friday. Thousands more are currently making their way to get to Mexico's northern border.