Texas National Guard members are seen being overrun by illegal immigrants trying to force their way across the southern border at El Paso, Texas last year. (@JennieSTaer / X screen shot)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has deputized the Texas National Guard with the authority to “formally assist with and facilitate the mass deportation of illegal aliens during President Donald Trump’s second term,” effective immediately.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated the announcement in a press release, commenting, “I am proud to be the first to join him to restore our national sovereignty, secure our border, and ensure that criminal aliens face the justice they deserve.” He continued, “As the top law enforcement official in Texas, I call on all agencies and departments to join me in the fight. We will enforce the law and protect America.”
He also issued the following press release:
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton signed an immigration enforcement agreement with the Trump Administration, becoming the first Texas law enforcement entity to formally assist with and facilitate the mass deportation of illegal aliens during President Donald Trump’s second term. Attorney General Paxton also called on all state and local law enforcement entities in Texas to enter into similar agreements with the federal government.
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order to protect the American people from the invasion of illegal aliens from across the world. Section 11 of that order called for the Secretary of Homeland Security to authorize state and local law enforcement entities to perform the functions of immigration officers. By being deputized, Texas law enforcement officers can assist in the investigation, apprehension, and detention of illegal aliens as authorized under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
In President Trump’s first term, dozens of Texas law enforcement agencies executed section 287(g) agreements, acting as a force-multiplier of the federal government’s immigration enforcement authority. However, no new agreements were entered into during the Biden Administration, severely undermining national security. The new executive order issued by President Trump enables Texas to resume its collaboration with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Today, the Office of the Attorney General signed such an agreement, becoming the first law enforcement entity to do so.
“On day one, President Trump took bold action to make America safe again. I am proud to be the first to join him to restore our national sovereignty, secure our border, and ensure that criminal altens face the justice they deserve,” said Attorney General Paxton. “As the top law enforcement official in Texas, I call on all agencies and departments to join me in the fight. We will enforce the law and protect America.”
On day one, President Trump took bold action to make America safe again.
I am proud to be the first to join him to restore our national sovereignty, secure our border, and ensure that criminal aliens face the justice they deserve.
As the top law enforcement official in Texas,… pic.twitter.com/dRlxP7TOcf
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) February 2, 2025
Newsnation reports, “This comes after NewsNation witnessed the Texas guard ‘babysitting’ one woman from Honduras for hours because they did not have the power to do anything else.”
Via NewsNation:
Recall that the Biden Regime sued to prevent Texas Governor Greg Abbott from building razor wire on the border wall to prevent illegal aliens from crossing. The US Supreme Court sided with the Biden Regime and allowed Border Patrol agents to remove razor wire installed on the Texas-Mexico border.
However, The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that Texas could build razor wire along the border wall in November 2024.
Biden had previously sued Texas in 2023 over Senate Bill 4, which grants state and local law enforcement officials the power to arrest, jail, and prosecute illegal migrants.
News of the Texas National Guard being activated for immigration enforcement and mass deportations also comes as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently said, “All options are on the table,” when he was asked if the U.S. will use military force against the cartels in Mexico.
Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller recently indicated that President Trump may invoke the Insurrection Act to combat the cartels in line with the “national objective of eradicating their physical presence on US soil.” The Insurrection Act “is still being considered based on operational needs on the southern border,” said Miller.
It is currently unclear if the Trump Administration has plans to deploy military troops to fight the cartels on the border, where border patrol agents face increasing threats, including gunfire and potential use of weaponized cartel drones.
CBP Memo Reveals Cartel Members Are Deploying Weaponized Drones for Potential Use Against CBP Officers (VIDEO)
As The Gateway Pundit reported, President Trump on Saturday sent a message to “all who would attack Americans” on Saturday, stating, “WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!” after announcing precision air strikes against ISIS in Somalia. The President later shared footage of the drone strikes Saturday night.
Defense Secretary Hegseth announced the airstrikes, saying, “This action further degrades ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening U.S. citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies, even as we conduct robust border-protection and many other operations under President Trump’s leadership.”
The Gateway Pundit will continue to provide updates on President Trump’s southern border solutions.
The post Customs and Border Protection Deputizes Texas National Guard, Allowing Them to “Assist with and Facilitate the Mass Deportation of Illegal Aliens” appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.