By Steve Neavling
A woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande in Texas on Friday after state officials denied Border Patrol agents access to the river, the Biden administration said, calling the state’s actions “cruel, inhumane, and dangerous.”
“On Friday night, a woman and two children drowned near Eagle Pass, and Texas officials blocked US Border Patrol from attempting to provide emergency assistance,” White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said in a statement, Barron’s reports.
She added, “While we continue to gather facts about the circumstances of these tragic deaths, one thing is clear: Governor Abbott’s political stunts are cruel, inhumane, and dangerous. US Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws.”
The Texas Military Department called the claims “wholly inaccurate.”
The drowning comes amid growing tension between Texas and federal agencies over immigration.
The Biden administration has accused Texas of preventing federal agents from performing their traditional duties, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbot says the federal government isn’t doing enough to protect the border.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, also slammed state officials, saying they refused to “grant access to Border Patrol agents to save the migrants” in the incident Friday.
“This is a tragedy, and the State bears responsibility,” Cuellar added in a statement.
