A lady and two children drowned within the Rio Grande on Friday evening in Eagle Pass, Texas, after U.S. border brokers have been prevented from responding, federal officers mentioned Saturday.

In an announcement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson mentioned U.S. Border Patrol brokers have been made conscious of the migrants’ misery by the Mexican authorities however have been unable to enter the world from the U.S. aspect after Texas National Guard troops, underneath the route of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, prevented them from doing so.

“In responding to a distress call from the Mexican government, Border Patrol agents were physically barred by Texas officials from entering the area,” the spokesperson mentioned.

The deaths have been highlighted Saturday by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who mentioned the deceased have been a part of a bunch of six migrants within the river Friday evening who have been in misery.

Mexican authorities recovered the our bodies of three of the migrants Saturday, Cuellar mentioned in an announcement. Identities and precise ages have been unavailable.

“Border Patrol attempted to contact the Texas Military Department, the Texas National Guard, and DPS Command Post by telephone to relay the information, but were unsuccessful,” Cuellar mentioned within the assertion.

He continued: “Border Patrol agents then made physical contact with the Texas Military Department and the Texas National Guard at the Shelby Park Entrance Gate and verbally relayed the information. However, Texas Military Department soldiers stated they would not grant access to the migrants — even in the event of an emergency — and that they would send a soldier to investigate the situation.”

In its personal assertion, the Texas Military Department disputed that narrative, saying its personnel have been made conscious of a misery report however may discover no migrants needing assist in the river and later have been made conscious of an incident close by, on the Mexican aspect of the river, that didn’t require their assist.

The division mentioned it had been in contact with Border Patrol on Friday evening, and the company mentioned Mexican authorities didn’t want the Texas division’s assist.

“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,” it mentioned.

Abbott’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. The Texas Department of Homeland Security referred such requests to the Texas Military Department, saying it was not concerned in Friday evening’s incident.

In an announcement to NBC News White House Correspondent Allie Raffa, a White House spokesperson mentioned one factor is “clear” about Saturday evening’s incident: “Governor Abbott’s political stunts are cruel inhumane and dangerous.”

The assertion continued: “U.S. Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws.”

The mayor of Eagle Pass, Rolando Salinas Jr., mentioned throughout a information convention Thursday he obtained a telephone name the day past from a Texas Department of Pubic Safety official informing him the state was taking emergency custody of Shelby Park, which lies alongside the river and is within the space the place the three migrants have been in misery.

Salinas mentioned a Texas Military Department official confirmed the takeover. The division directs the Texas National Guard.

The transfer got here amid an ongoing courtroom battle between the Department of Homeland Security and Texas over entry to the border in Eagle Pass, which DHS says is cordoned off by concertina wire erected by the state. A decrease courtroom in December dominated in favor of Texas and barred federal brokers from eradicating the boundaries.

The newest U.S. Supreme Court submitting by the Department of Homeland Security this week renews its request to stop the state from blocking federal brokers from space.

“Border Patrol’s normal access to the border through entry points in the federal border barrier is likewise blocked by the Texas National Guard installing its own gates and placing armed personnel in those locations to control entry,” the submitting said.

The submitting continued, “And the Texas National Guard has likewise blocked Border Patrol from using an access road through the preexisting state border barrier by stationing a military Humvee there.”

White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez advised Reuters in an announcement on Friday that the state’s efforts to dam Border Patrol brokers have been primarily a type of political theater.

“Governor Abbott continues his extreme political stunts that not only seek to demonize and dehumanize people, but that also make it harder and more dangerous for Border Patrol to do their jobs,” he mentioned.

The park takeover seemed to be a element of Abbott’s makes an attempt to focus on migrant crossings and disgrace the Biden administration for what he and different prime Republicans have characterised as an open-border coverage. Abbott has been sending planeloads of migrants to cities led by elected Democrats which have vowed to take care of them or in any other case present sanctuary.

At a information convention Friday, Abbott mentioned the Eagle Pass takeover was authorized and needed to stop border crossings and “maintain operational control.”

The governor was criticized for remarks throughout a radio look Jan. 5 throughout which he mentioned Texas was doing the whole lot in need of killing migrants to be able to cease unlawful crossings.

“The only thing we are not doing is we’re not shooting people who come across the border, because, of course, the Biden administration would charge us with murder,” he mentioned.

The Department of Homeland Security on Saturday criticized Abbott’s insurance policies as past on a regular basis politics.

“The Texas governor’s policies are cruel, dangerous, and inhumane, and Texas’s blatant disregard for federal authority over immigration poses grave risks,” it mentioned. “The State of Texas should stop interfering with the U.S. Border Patrol’s enforcement of U.S. law.”

A CBP spokesperson expressed an identical sentiment Saturday: (*2*)