Texas DPS Prepares for Possible Surge at the Border Ahead of Trump’s Return to Office
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is taking proactive measures to brace for a potential surge of migrants at the southern border as people seek to enter the United States before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office in January 2025.
“We still want to maintain a proactive posture. We don’t want to be reactive,” stated Lieutenant Chris Olivarez of the Texas DPS. “We want to be ready for anything, for any possible surge.”
As part of these preparations, Texas DPS officers have been conducting “mass migration response” drills, focusing on strategies designed to control large numbers of people attempting to cross the border. One key tactic involves positioning DPS vehicles every few hundred feet along the border with flashing red and blue lights. These vehicles are strategically placed in sectors such as the Rio Grande Valley, Del Rio, and El Paso Border Patrol regions. Additionally, loudspeakers have been set up to broadcast a message in Spanish that warns individuals about the illegality of crossing in certain areas.
The message, translated from Spanish, states: “Attention, attention. It is illegal to cross here. There is fencing here. This is not a port of entry.”
While the Texas DPS and U.S. Border Patrol are preparing for an increase in border activity ahead of Trump’s inauguration, the surge may not materialize as expected. According to Lieutenant Olivarez, the Biden administration’s policies have already significantly slowed illegal border crossings. “We’ve seen a significant decrease in illegal border crossings, especially in Texas, where numbers are down nearly 86%,” he said.
The Biden administration’s measures include denying asylum to individuals who attempt to cross the border without going through official ports of entry or without an asylum appointment with Customs and Border Protection.
However, while these policies may deter some individuals, drug cartels are still finding ways to exploit vulnerabilities in the border. Recent incidents highlight the cartels’ growing desperation, with Border Patrol agents discovering individuals hidden inside the gas tank of a semi-truck and welded inside the body of a pickup truck. In the latter case, agents had to forcibly pry open the truck’s sides to uncover the people trapped inside.
As both the Texas DPS and U.S. Border Patrol continue to monitor the situation, authorities remain vigilant in their efforts to prevent illegal border crossings and ensure border security.