Controversy at U.S.-Mexico border over accusations of 'inhumane' orders to DPS troopers

HOUSTON - The office of the Inspector General is now investigating accusations made in an email by a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper.

In the email, the DPS trooper alleges a supervisor commanded authorities to push migrants back into the Rio Grande to go back to Mexico. The trooper also accuses Texas officials of ordering them to not give migrants water in extreme heat.

"I think it was really misinterpreted the way this trooper saw it," said DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez. "Because of that, some of the media outlets have kind of completely changed this around portraying that our troopers as inhumane and that we’re pushing migrants into the river.  That in itself is disappointing. It’s upsetting. That’s not what we’re doing."

In recent weeks, crews from the State of Texas added new razor wire to the border and buoys on the Rio Grande.

"The idea behind it, if a migrant sees a barrier in the middle of the river, it should discourage them from even entering the river," said Olivarez.

Texas Democrats and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) held separate virtual press conferences Tuesday in response to the trooper’s email.

"This is inhumane," said Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. "It’s not representative of the people of Texas and diverse cities like Houston, Texas."

"If [these accusations are] true, articles of impeachment ought to be brought against this governor," said Congressman Al Green. "He is unfit to hold any office of public trust."

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In recent weeks, Olivarez says DPS troopers have rescued migrants from drowning and treated heat exhaustion and cuts caused by the razor wire.

"We want to prevent anyone from crossing the river," said Olivarez. "That’s the whole point of having this infrastructure in place. Having all of the manpower at the river bank where it’s clearly visible. But yet, some of these migrants still want to cross no matter what."

A spokesperson from Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Office provided a written statement responding to the accusations: "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 a spokesperson from Gov. Greg Abbott’s Office. "The absence of razor wire and other deterrence strategies encourages migrants to make unsafe and illegal crossings between ports of entry, while making the job of Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers more dangerous and difficult. President Biden has unleashed a chaos on the border that’s unsustainable, and we have a constitutional duty to respond to this unprecedented crisis."