Texas officials set the record straight after White House claims Border Patrol was 'physically barred' from saving migrants

Texas authorities are fiercely pushing back against accusations that they blocked Border Patrol agents from helping three migrants who eventually drowned in the Rio Grande.

Two migrant children and one migrant women drowned late Friday as they attempted to enter the United States near Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, an epicenter of the migrant crisis. That is the riverfront that Texas seized control of last week, arguing the federal government was not sufficiently enforcing immigration law.

Despite the tragedy, Democrats and the Biden administration quickly played the blame game. They claimed Border Patrol agents tried to respond to the migrants-in-distress but couldn't because Texas National Guard soldiers blocked them.

"In responding to a distress call from the Mexican government, Border Patrol agents were physically barred by Texas officials from entering the area," a Homeland Security spokesperson claimed. "The Texas governor’s policies are cruel, dangerous, and inhumane, and Texas’s blatant disregard for federal authority over immigration poses grave risks."

The White House also claimed that Texas soldiers "blocked U.S. Border Patrol from attempting to provide emergency assistance."

But the Texas Military Department is disputing these claims.

The TMD confirmed Border Patrol contacted them about the migrants-in-distress, but the migrants were never located despite National Guard soldiers having "actively searched the river with lights and night vision goggles." That's because the migrants were located on Mexico's side of the river.

The agency explained:

At no time did TMD security personnel along the river observe any distressed migrants, nor did TMD turn back any illegal immigrants from the US during this period. Also, at no point was TMD made aware of any bodies in the area of Shelby Park nor was TMD made aware of any bodies being discovered on the U.S. side of the border regarding this situation.

Importantly, the Biden administration and anyone blaming Texas for contributing to the deaths or for blocking Border Patrol agents have provided no evidence to corroborate their claims.

The lack of evidence forced the TMD to release another statement on Sunday forcefully denying the claims.

"Claims of Border Patrol requesting access to save distressed migrants are inaccurate," TMD said. "Claims that TMD prevented Border Patrol from saving the lives of drowning migrants are wholly inaccurate."

According to the agency, the migrants had already died and Mexican authorities had already recovered their bodies when Border Patrol learned about the distressed migrants — facts TMD said that Border Patrol agents themselves relayed to Texas National Guard soldiers. Border Patrol did not request access to the park to help the migrants, but "to secure two additional migrants that were presumed to have traveled with the deceased," TMD said.

Mexican officials, meanwhile, confirmed that the deceased migrants never entered U.S. territory.

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