#Houston Eagle

[ratatoskryggdrasil]

Scott Swoveland (Scotty)

#Scott Swoveland #drawing #Houston Eagle

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Officers working for Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security initiative have been ordered to push small children and nursing babies back into the Rio Grande, and have been told not to give water to asylum seekers even in extreme heat, according to an email from a Department of Public Safety trooper who described the actions as “inhumane.”

The July 3 account, reviewed by Hearst Newspapers, discloses several previously unreported incidents the trooper witnessed in Eagle Pass, where the state of Texas has strung miles of razor wire and deployed a wall of buoys in the Rio Grande.

According to the email, a pregnant woman having a miscarriage was found late last month caught in the wire, doubled over in pain. A four-year-old girl passed out from heat exhaustion after she tried to go through it and was pushed back by Texas National Guard soldiers. A teenager broke his leg trying to navigate the water around the wire and had to be carried by his father.

The email, which the trooper sent to a superior, suggests that Texas has set “traps” of razor wire-wrapped barrels in parts of the river with high water and low visibility. And it says the wire has increased the risk of drownings by forcing migrants into deeper stretches of the river.

The trooper called for a series of rigorous policy changes to improve safety for migrants, including removing the barrels and revoking the directive on withholding water.

“Due to the extreme heat, the order to not give people water needs to be immediately reversed as well,” the trooper wrote, later adding: “I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane.”

Department of Public Safety spokesman Travis Considine did not comment on all the contents of the trooper’s email, but said there is no policy against giving water to migrants.

Considine also provided an email from DPS Director Steven McCraw on Saturday calling for an audit to determine if more can be done to minimize the risk to migrants. McCraw wrote troopers should warn migrants not to cross the wire, redirect them to ports of entry and to closely watch for anyone who needs medical attention.

In another email, McCraw acknowledged that there has been an increase in injuries from the wire, including seven incidents reported by Border Patrol where migrants needed “elevated medical attention” from July 4 to July 13. Those were in addition to the incidents detailed by the trooper.

“The purpose of the wire is to deter smuggling between the ports of entry and not to injure migrants,” McCraw wrote. “The smugglers care not if the migrants are injured, but we do, and we must take all necessary measures to mitigate the risk to them including injuries from trying to cross over the concertina wire, drownings and dehydration.”

The incidents detailed in the email come as Abbott has stepped up efforts in recent weeks to physically bar migrants from entering the country through his Operation Lone Star initiative, escalating tensions between state and federal officials and drawing increased scrutiny from humanitarian groups who say the state is endangering asylum seekers. The most aggressive initiatives have been targeted at Eagle Pass.

The state has also now deployed a wall of floating buoys in the Rio Grande, which triggered complaints over the weekend from Mexico.

Federal Border Patrol officials have issued internal warnings that the razor wire is preventing their agents from reaching at-risk migrants and increasing the risk of drownings in the Rio Grande, Hearst Newspapers reported last week.

The DPS trooper expressed similar concerns, writing that the placement of the wire along the river “forces people to cross in other areas that are deeper and not as safe for people carrying kids and bags.”

The trooper’s email sheds new light on a series of previously reported drownings in the river during a one-week stretch earlier this month, including a mother and at least one of her two children, who federal Border Patrol agents spotted struggling to cross the Rio Grande on July 1.

According to the email, a DPS boat found the mother and one of the children, who went under the water for a minute.

They were pulled from the river and given medical care before being transferred to EMS, but were later declared deceased at the hospital. The second child was never found, the email said.

The Governor has said he is taking necessary steps to secure the border and accused federal officials of refusing to do so.

“Texas is deploying every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings between ports of entry as President Biden’s dangerous open border policies entice migrants from over 150 countries to risk their lives entering the country illegally," said Andrew Mahaleris, Abbott’s press secretary. "President Biden has unleashed a chaos on the border that’s unsustainable, and we have a constitutional duty to respond to this unprecedented crisis.”

The DPS trooper’s email details four incidents in just one day in which migrants were caught in the wire or injured trying to get around it.

On June 30, troopers found a group of people along the wire, including a 4-year-old girl who tried to cross the wire and was pressed back by Texas Guard soldiers “due to the orders given to them,” the email says. The DPS trooper wrote that the temperature was “well over 100 degrees” and the girl passed out from exhaustion.

“We provided treatment to the unresponsive patient and transferred care to EMS,” the trooper wrote. A spokesperson for the Texas National Guard did not respond to a request for comment.

In another instance, troopers found a 19-year-old woman “in obvious pain” stuck in the wire. She was cut free and given a medical assessment, which determined she was pregnant and having a miscarriage. She was then transferred to EMS. The trooper also treated a man with a “significant laceration” in his left leg, who said he had cut it while trying to free his child who was “stuck on a trap in the water,” describing a barrel with razor wire “all over it.” And the trooper treated a 15-year-old boy who broke his right leg walking in the river because the razor wire was “laid out in a manner that it forced him into the river where it is unsafe to travel.”

In another instance, on June 25, troopers came across a group of 120 people camped out along a fence set up along the river. The group included several small children and babies who were nursing, the trooper wrote. The entire group was exhausted, hungry and tired, the trooper wrote. The shift officer in command ordered the troopers to “push the people back into the water to go to Mexico,” the email says.

The trooper wrote that the troopers decided it was not the right thing to do “with the very real potential of exhausted people drowning.” They called command again and expressed their concerns and were given the order to “tell them to go to Mexico and get into our vehicle and leave,” the trooper wrote. After they left, other troopers worked with Border Patrol to provide care to the migrants, the email said.

The trooper did not respond to a request for comment Monday. His email was shared by a confidential source with knowledge of border operations. It was unclear whether the trooper received a response from the sergeant he’d messaged.

Considine acknowledged that DPS was aware of the email and provided the additional agency emails in response. Those emails detail seven other incidents reported by federal border agents in which migrants were injured on the wires, including a child who was taken to the hospital on Thursday with cuts on his left arm, a mother and child who were taken to the hospital on Wednesday with “minor lacerations” on their “lower extremities,” and another migrant taken to San Antonio on July 4 to receive treatment for “several lacerations” that required staples.

Victor Escalon, a DPS director who oversees South Texas, wrote in an email Friday to other agency officials that troopers “may need to open the wire to aid individuals in medical distress, maintain the peace, and/or to make an arrest for criminal trespass, criminal mischief, acts of violence, or other State crimes.”

“Our DPS medical unit is assigned to this operation to address medical concerns for everyone involved,” Escalon wrote. “As we enforce State law, we may need to aid those in medical distress and provide water as necessary.”

#us politics #news #houston chronicle #2023 #immigration policy #immigration and customs enforcement #immigration reform #immigrants #texas #us border patrol #texas national guard #texas department of public safety #gov. greg abbott #Hearst Newspapers #eagle pass #rio grande #mexico #us mexico border #Travis Considine #Steven McCraw #Operation Lone Star #Andrew Mahaleris

[misterivy]

#where eagles dare #richard burton #clint eastwood #mary ure #ingrid pitt #david houston #derren nesbitt #patrick wymark #ww2 #1968

[delawaresportsblitz]

Podcast: NFL Wildcard Round Playoffs Preview!

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend Rob, and we go through the matchups in the NFL Wildcard Round of the playoffs.

#sports #american football #nfl #podcast #sports podcast #philadelphia eagles #kansas city chiefs #tampa bay buccaneers #houston texans #cleveland browns #dallas cowboys #green bay packers #buffalo bills #pittsburgh steelers #los angeles rams #detroit lions #Tampa bay buccaneers #football #miami dolphins

[anneofgreengablesthings]

Hi y’all! I know I hardly post anymore, but if you live in Texas I could really use your help. Would you call your House Rep and ask them to vote for HB 2332? Fairfield State Park is at risk of being turned into a subdivision and golf course. HB 2332 would use eminent domain laws to help the state buy the park and keep it a park. The otters, eagles, and other wildlife who live there will be so grateful. It’s real life Parks and Rec and I’m channeling my inner Leslie Knope to spread the word. If you don’t live in Texas, you can still call the gov and lt gov and ask them to get involved in saving the park. Remember to be polite and concise with your calls. Thank you so much for reading :) 

#fairfield lake state park #fairfield #fairfield texas #save the park #save the otters #save the eagles #otters #eagles #parks and rec #leslie knope #texas #houston #dallas #austin #tyler #east texas #state parks #teddy roosevelt #signal boost #important

[sportsunfolded]

Week 13 NFL Rankings

#sports #sportsunfolded #nfl football #nfl #baltimore ravens #san francisco 49ers #philadephia eagles #dallas cowboys #miami dolphins #kansas city chiefs #detroit lions #jacksonville jaguars #houston texans #indianapolis colts

[dignatian]

#music video #michael jackson #madonna #the eagles #whitney houston #queen band #beyonce

[basil-bird]

im all kinds of anarchist and anti-government until whitney houston’s 1991 super bowl national anthem starts playing and then im a 🦅🥧⚾️🗽🆓💪🪖🎖🇺🇸🫡

#rock flag and eagle right charlie? #iasip #iasip charlie #america #rock flag and eagle #whitney houston #charlie goes america all over everybodys ass #national anthem #super bowl

[phillipmedhurst]

Revealed Religion : Benjamin West. 091 of 100 Bible images

091 Saint John of Patmos called to write the Revelation Saint John the Divine called to write the Revelation. 1797. Oil on five sheets of paper mounted on canvas, itself mounted on wood. 57 7/8 × 26 1/2 ins (147 × 67.3 cms). The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

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#Apocalypse #Benjamin West #Bible #eagle #Houston Museum #John of Patmos #Phillip Medhurst #Revealed Religion #Revelation #Saint John the Divine #Saint John the Evangelist #seven churches #seven lamps #word of God

[pressnewsagencyllc]

NFL Rounds 2 and 3 mock draft, by Dane Brugler: Rattler to Rams; nine more WRs selected

The NFL welcomed 32 new players during Thursday night’s first round, but there is still plenty of talent available in the 2024 draft. A projection of how the second and third rounds might play out: NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysisBig board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?Draft pick grades: Nick Baumgardner, Scott Dochterman rate the…

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#Arizona Cardinals #Atlanta Falcons #Baltimore Ravens #Buffalo Bills #Carolina Panthers #Chicago Bears #Cincinnati Bengals #Cleveland Browns #Dallas Cowboys #Denver Broncos #Detroit Lions #Green Bay Packers #Houston Texans #Indianapolis Colts #Jacksonville Jaguars #Kansas City Chiefs #las vegas raiders #Los Angeles Chargers #los angeles rams #Miami Dolphins #Minnesota Vikings #New England Patriots #New Orleans Saints #New York Giants #New York Jets #NFL #Philadelphia Eagles #Pittsburgh Steelers #San Francisco 49ers #Seattle Seahawks

[coolteee-store]

We Are Texans Houston Texans Football Us Eagle Shirt

Uncomplicated elegance with We Are Texans houston texans football us eagle shirt, attention all Texans, football season is upon us and there's no better way to show off your pride for both the state of Texas and the Houston Texans than with our exclusive "We Are Texans" Houston Texans Football US Eagle shirt. As loyal fans of the Texans, we know that football is more than just a game to us, it's a way of life. And now, with this one-of-a-kind shirt, we can showcase our unwavering support for both our team and our home state.

Buy now: We Are Texans Houston Texans Football Us Eagle Shirt

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All Elite Wrestling Sting Final Encounter Retro Mug

We Are Texans Houston Texans Football Us Eagle Shirt

Visit Store: https://coolteee.com/

#Texans #Houston #Football #Eagle #Coolteee

[ratatoskryggdrasil]

Scott Swoveland (Scotty), 2016

#Scott Swoveland #Scotty #drawing #Houston Eagle

[pumathoughts]

Super Wild-card Weekend Rundown

It’s that time of year again, NFL Playoffs! We begin as always with Super Wildcard Weekend, here is my rundown of all the games:

NFL Super Wild-card weekend: Jan. 13, 14 and 15

NFC

(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox

These are 2 teams with different expectations on the season. Jordan Love has played well and the Packers the last 2 games of the season played good defense and got the most out of their young core to make the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys are Super Bowl or bust, CeeDee Lamb is arguably the second best WR in football and the defense overall is a take away machine. The Cowboys I think will try to pressure Love into bad throws, and be opportunistic in creating take aways. This to me is the Cowboys game to lose, only question is can Tony Pollard get going in the run game because he is the home run threat on the ground in space. Green Bay went on a 3 game win streak to end the season and Dallas leaving a lot to be desired to end their season. Dallas won impressively in week 14 against Philadelphia, then a bad loss to Buffalo, another loss to Miami, an illegal touching penalty win against Detroit and a dismantling of Washington to maybe get right? The Cowboys are the better team and they are home. Even with the struggles Dallas should get past the Packers and into the Divisional round.

(6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Detroit Lions

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC

This one is going to tug on the heart strings. Matt Stafford returns to Detroit to face his old Lions and frankly the Rams might spoil Detroit’s first home playoff game in ages. The Rams are a hot team coming into the playoffs, 7-1 since a week 10 bye, only loss was an overtime loss to Baltimore in week 14. Puka Nacua came out of nowhere and is shattering expectations. He and Cooper Kupp are a formidable duo at WR, and Kyren Williams has brought stability to a ground game that have made the Rams a really tough matchup for anyone and unfortunately it has to be the Lions. I want good things for Detroit, and they deserve to go far in the playoffs. I just don’t see how a defense that is susceptible to the pass can slow down this Rams passing offense. The Lions will have Sam LaPorta but not at 100% which could hinder what the Lions do passing the ball. The 2 headed monster at running back in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs is what the Lions need to control this game. The biggest X factor is how aggressive will Dan Campbell be? Hopefully just enough to get the win, but this is Jared Goff’s chance for redemption. He was traded for Stafford but not only that the Rams GAVE a first round pick just to get rid of him. I want Detroit to win this game because I like feel good stories but the Rams seem to have put it together at the right time and I think will spoil the party in Detroit.

(5) Philadelphia Eagles at (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Monday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN+

The Eagles are dragging their asses into these playoffs. Rumors are swirling Nick Siriani might lose his job if the Eagles piss this one away. Crazy to think a team a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance would fire the coach but this is a crazy world we live in. The Eagles also get dealt another low blow by stud WR AJ Brown likely being out for this game due to a knee injury. The hits just keep coming. The Buccaneers on the other hand haven’t been spectacular but haven’t been average. 5-1 in their last 6 to close the season and Baker Mayfield might have found a home in Tampa Bay. Mayfield had 4,044 yards 28 TDs and 10 INTs on this season. Tom Brady last year for these Bucs had 4,694 yards 25 TDs and 9 INTs. The Bucs I think have a better chance to win this game because of the weapons at receiver. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should give Philly all they can handle. The Eagles need to get D’Andre Swift going to take the pressure off of Jalen Hurts. For the Eagles to win they have to establish the run and control clock. I think the Eagles are desperate enough to win this game but it will be closer than people think.

Bye: (1) San Francisco 49ers

AFC

(5) Cleveland Browns at (4) Houston Texans

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC

To me this is the most intriguing matchup of the playoffs. The upstart Texans and CJ Stroud against the resilient Cleveland Browns. The Browns are the first team in NFL history to win at least 10 games in a season with four different quarterbacks earning at least one win, according to OptaStats. They’re also the first team to make the playoffs after starting four different quarterbacks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Joe Flacco is a timeless wonder, and survived a tenure with the New York Jets, EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. But Cleveland with a steady hand at QB and a stout defense get a rematch with a team they creamed in week 16 BUT CJ Stroud is playing this time. I thought CJ Stroud should’ve been the number one overall pick in the draft but Bryce Young gets to fall on the sword and waste away in Carolina while Stroud thrives. Stroud threw for over 4000 yards and had 25 TDs. Impressive for a team that had 2 wins last season. DeMeco Ryans has transformed this team into one who believes in itself and they are young and growing together. Even Buffalo Bills cast off Devin Singletary took over the starting RB spot and is the steady hand in the backfield. Tank Dell being hurt is a loss but the Texans have other playmakers that have carried them to this point. I like Houston to shock the world and Beat Cleveland at home to advance.

(6) Miami Dolphins at (3) Kansas City Chiefs

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET on Peacock

Now there is a joke in here somewhere involving Swifties and Peacock…I’m not the one to make it, but there has to be. Now for those of you wondering as you see above it says this game is on Peacock. Yes, Peacock is a streaming service by NBC Universal. Yes, this is streaming ONLY. Yes, the NFL is a money hungry organization that does what it wants and will continue to do so until the end of time. So, get ready to pay $5.99 for this game or just hope a friend or family member has it. ANYWAY, this game is more about 2 teams who are not where everyone thought they’d be. The Chiefs are just reaping what they sewed by not upgrading at WR. This group leads the league in drops. Taylor Swift has garnered a lot of attention and I think it has somehow manifested itself into affecting this team. The Chiefs just don’t have that same mojo this year. Travis Kelce is having his worst statistical year in what feels like forever. If KC survives this game they are likely going on the road to play what would be Patrick Mahomes first ever road playoff game. The Dolphins again fail to reach expectations this season. Did you know they scored 70 points on Denver this season? That was a different time. The Dolphins are “the greatest show on surf” but have been hobbled as of late. Tyreek Hill has been hurt, Jaylen Waddle has been hurt, and the speed the Dolphins were killing people with has been somewhat neutralized. Miami squandered a golden opportunity win the AFC East and to get the 2 seed in the playoffs, all they had to do was win 2 of their last 3. They got waxed by Baltimore at home, and Buffalo beat them for the division and the 2 seed. Ouch. My wife tells me Mike McDaniel is a player’s coach, I say he can’t close. The temperature is expected to be around minus-2 degrees with a wind chill approaching -30, according to the National Weather Service. If that projection remains to be then this will become the coldest game that the Dolphins have ever played in. The Dolphins have lost 10 straight games when the kickoff temperature is 40 degrees or below. With all the struggles this season I think the Chiefs will win this game by the slimmest of margins because of Isiah Pacheco.

(7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Buffalo Bills

Monday, 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS (Postponed due to weather)

We all know my feelings on the Buffalo Bills, I love and hate them all at the same time. But what really grinds my gears is everyone acting like the weather is a real advantage for the Bills. It’s projected to be 40MPH winds, and somewhere between 1-3 feet of snow. I don’t know if you know this but Pittsburgh plays in cold weather too. As does Cleveland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New England, Jets, Giants, Baltimore, Washington, Green Bay, and other cold weather teams who play outside. Let’s stop pretending Buffalo weather is different. Cold is cold, snow is snow. The new stadium should be a dome, not have an overhang that causes wind confusion. Who know what else causes wind confusion? A DOME! ANYWAY, this game is moved to monday because of the weather but is a classic Bills trap game. The Steelers are currently a +10 point spread for this game (take the points). The Steelers and Mason Rudolph have found their stride on offense after a tumultuous season the Steelers made their way to the playoffs. They don’t turn the ball over and they don’t commit penalties. George Pickens is my player to watch because he’ll either have a huge day or not be heard from. The Steelers will be able to establish the run but if the Bills can keep a lid on the receivers the Bills will have a great chance to win this game. The Bills problem will be can they get points when points are there to get? The Miami game left potentially 21 points on the field with 2 Josh Allen INT’s and a James Cook fumble all in the redzone. Josh Allen catches a lot of shit for his turnovers, but the national narrative that he’s a liability for his turnovers in outlandish. In his first 6 seasons he has 102 total turnovers, 78 being interceptions. Did you know Peyton Manning and Jameis Winston have 111 total turnovers in their first 6 seasons? In their first 6 seasons Peyton Manning had 110 INT’s, Winston and Eli Manning had 88, Jay Cutler had 86, and Matt Stafford had 85 INT’s. Gun Slingers through INT’s, shit happens. But to lay it all on Josh Allen like he’s a turnover machine is asinine. Josh Allen is the solution to the problem of not having truly elite weapons around him outside of Stefon Diggs. The Bills will win this game if Diggs can get loose and get chunks of yards and you get James Cook in space. The defense needs to keep a lid on the speed of the Steeler receivers. I think the Bills get the win by a field goal.

Bye: (1) Baltimore Ravens

#nfl #bills #ravens #steelers #dolphins #kansas city chiefs #detroit lions #rams #cleveland browns #houston texans #eagles #Bucs #49ers #cowboys #green bay packers #nfl playoffs #Super Wild-card Weekend

[dalydose22]

#nfl #nfl football #nfl playoffs #super bowl #super bowl lviii #buffalo bills #miami dolphons #houston texans #pittsburgh steelers #baltimore ravens #cleveland browns #kansas city chiefs #denver broncos #dallas cowboys #philadelphia eagles #detroit lions #green bay packers #tampa bay buccaneers #san francisco 49ers #los angeles rams

[heavyhitternet]

New episode to get you ready for #NFL #Week17 https://rumble.com/v43m21z-nfl-week-17-into-the-lions-den.html

#nflnews #sports #entertainment #detroit lions #football #atlanta falcons #dolphins #dallas cowboys #green bay packers #minnesota vikings #chicago bears #bills #miami dolphins #philadelphia eagles #san francisco 49ers #cincinnati bengals #pittsburgh steelers #kansas city chiefs #las vegas raiders #houston texans #new orleans saints #tampa bay buccaneers #denver broncos #cleveland browns #week 17

[xtruss]

Greg Abbott's Rio Grande Border Policies Condemned as 'Definition of Evil'

— By James Bickerton | July 18th, 2023 | Newsweek

Governor Greg Abbott's migration policies have been slammed as the "definition of evil" after a Texas state trooper claimed border guards had been ordered to push back migrants, including small children, into the Rio Grande, as well as denying them access to water. The allegations have been dismissed in part by the department, which insists there is no policy against handing water to migrants.

Democratic politicians have also hit out at the deployment of floating buoys in the Rio Grande, designed to impede illegal immigration, which one congress member said "are going to force people to drown."

Authorities across the U.S. are struggling to cope with a surge in unauthorized immigration, with law enforcement stopping a record 2.76 million migrants after they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in the 2022 fiscal year, according to Customs and Border Protection data. Immigration is likely to play a prominent role in the 2024 presidential election campaign, with Republican frontrunner Donald Trump vowing to end "automatic citizenship" for the children of undocumented migrants "on day one" if elected.

On Monday, the Houston Chronicle published an email from a Texas state trooper, sent to a superior, who said migrants had been pushed back into the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, causing one 4-year-old girl to pass out from heat exhaustion, and denied water.

Migrants wave as they walk near concertina wire in the water along the Rio Grande border with Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 16, 2023. Reports of border guards being ordered to push migrants back into the river, and refuse them water, have sparked outrage online. Anne Cordeiro/AF/Getty

The trooper wrote: "Due to the extreme heat, the order to not give people water needs to be immediately reversed as well...I believe we have stepped over a line into the inhumane."

In response Travis Considine, a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said law enforcement hadn't been instructed to deny water to migrants.

The unverified claims caused fury on social media, with progressive social media activist Jack Cocchiaretta sharing a post on Twitter blaming Abbott, who he described as "the definition of evil," to his 348,000 followers.

Nessa Diosdado, a Texas-based "Gen-Z activist," called on the president to intervene. She said: "Migrants are human beings. What Greg Abbott is doing at the border with children and babies is not what this country stands for. He must be stopped. We need President Biden to step in."

There was anger at Abbott from Democratic lawmakers at the placement of buoys in the Rio Grande, in a bid to deter illegal migration.

Speaking to CNN, Texas Representative Joaquin Castro said: "What he [Abbott] intends to put out are drowning devices. Those things are going to force people to drown. Children, disabled people, mothers, and others."

Representative Veronica Escobar, who also represents the Democrats in the House, tweeted: "The buoys being deployed by Greg Abbott in the Rio Grande will not stop desperate people; they pose a danger to Border Patrol agents and put migrants at risk of drowning."

In a statement sent to the Houston Chronicle, Abbott's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, defended the governor's policies.

He said: "Texas is deploying every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings between ports of entry as President Biden's dangerous open border policies entice migrants from over 150 countries to risk their lives entering the country illegally.

"President Biden has unleashed a chaos on the border that's unsustainable, and we have a constitutional duty to respond to this unprecedented crisis."

In a statement sent to Newsweek,Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa and Maverick County Democratic Party Chair Juanita Martinez called for federal intervention in response to claims migrants had been denied water and pushed back into the Rio Grande.

They said: "Greg Abbott and his political cronies in the DPS [Texas Department of Public Safety] reached a new level of depravity earlier this summer with their floating buoys in the river, intended to deter asylum-seeking migrants with the threat of drowning rather than legal repercussions.

"But today's uncovering of the borderline torturous activity against migrants—including all but intentionally drowning babies—deserves a swift and thorough investigation by the federal government.

"In addition, with this state-sanctioned violence against migrants, it's time for federal authorities to assert their constitutional duty and shut down Greg Abbott's unconstitutional rogue 'law enforcement.'"

Newsweek has also reached out to Abbott's press office for comment via telephone and voicemail message.

In June, Abbott said Texas had "bused over 23,500 migrants to sanctuary cities," including Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles.

#The Newsweek Magazine #Greg Abbott #Rio Grande #Border Policies #Migrants #Houston Chronicle #U.S.-Mexico Border #Eagle Pass #Inhumane Treatment #Jack Cocchiaretta #Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro #Border Patrol Agents #Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa #Maverick County Democratic Party Chair Juanita Martinez #Texas Department of Public Safety