Reports of Gov. Abbott’s border operations instructing officers to push children and babies into the Rio Grande draws condemnation from immigration activists on the border.

On July 17, The Houston Chronicle reported that Gov. Greg Abbott’s operation on the border instructed officers to deny migrants water and push children into the Rio Grande to prevent them from safely seeking asylum. 

In response, Dani Marrero Hi, deputy director of La Unión del Pueblo Entero, said:

“There is no bottom to Gov. Abbott’s inhumane policies at the border. The reports are horrific— children passing out, nursing babies getting forcefully pushed into the river, denying water to people during a record-setting summer, and a woman who suffered a miscarriage while painfully caught in barbed wire placed by troops. 

For generations, families on the border have welcomed people migrating and seeking safety. We are a community that shows up to help our neighbors and newcomers, and you can see our values in action as volunteers from Brownsville to El Paso huddle in welcoming centers to provide migrant families and individuals with basic supplies. 

But Gov. Abbott’s rogue extremist agenda goes against the values of South Texans. Abbott’s policies do not care about human life, and the latest reports are a confirmation of what human rights groups have raised the alarm for years now.

Deterrence policies and the hyper-militarization of the border harms human life. There is no safer alternative to protect the lives of migrants than by offering them a safe and efficient way to seek asylum. No amount of walls, buoys, wire, or boots on the ground can keep people safe.

We call on Congress to immediately investigate Operation Lonestar and Gov. Abbott’s rogue agenda on the border. As we wait to see if more Texas special legislative sessions are called, we also call on our state representatives and senators to firmly oppose border legislation that enforces violent deterrence measures over welcoming people with dignity.”

To arrange virtual or in person interviews with representatives of LUPE, contact Ramiro Gonzalez, LUPE Communications Coordinator, at (956) 360-4277 or ramirog@lupenet.org. Interviews available in English and Spanish.