Feds say Texas National Guard is stopping them from accessing part of the southern border near Eagle Pass as Biden Administration tries to cut razor wire used to slow migrant crossings

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has turned the tables on the Biden administration by barring federal agents from one of the hottest flashpoints on the southern border.

The White House already demanded that the Supreme Court allow it to tear down miles of razor wire that the state government has strung across a 29-mile section of the border around Eagle Pass.

Now, the Texas National Guard has barred Border Patrol agents from the entire 2.5-mile section of Shelby Park and defiantly stationed its military vehicles at the entrance to block access.

‘It is not a decision that we agreed to,’ Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas wrote when reporting the show of force on Facebook.

‘It’s not something we wanted. This is not something we asked for as a city, I want to make that clear.’

Tensions have been rising for months between state and federal authorities amid a surge in recorded illegal crossings, which hit a record high of 301,983 in December.

Immigration has become a flashpoint for the upcoming election, with both Biden and Trump making competing visits to the border on the same day.

Last month, Texas troops began arresting migrants who crossed the border for criminal trespassing before they could surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents and seek asylum.

The White House has asked the Supreme Court to overturn an injunction that prevents it from removing razor wire on the banks of the Rio Grande, which is a “risk to human life.”

The DOJ has said the blockade of Shelby Park has left its view of the border there “limited to a narrow sliver from a single surveillance camera located outside the newly fenced area”.

It also alleges that state authorities have denied Border Patrol access to a boat ramp and a gap previously used to inspect apprehended migrants.

“Border Patrol agents in a vehicle towing a boat to launch at the boat ramp requested access to Shelby Park, but the Texas National Guard denied them access to the area,” they wrote in the latest filing.

‘Border Patrol agents also requested access to the staging area and the Texas National Guard refused.’

A spokesman for the Texas Military Department told ABC News that the move was intended to ‘restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant passage into the park and the greater Eagle Pass area.’

The president used his State of the Union address to Congress to address the border crisis and mostly urged Republicans to pass an immigration bill.

Senators from both parties hammered out a deal that would have, among other things, tightened border policy and provided funding to reduce wait times for asylum hearings to six months.

However, House Republicans killed the bill under pressure from Trump, who wanted to use the issue to crush his opponent in the election campaign.

“If my predecessor is watching instead of paying politics and pushing members of Congress to block the bill, join me in asking Congress to pass it. We can do it together,” Biden said.

Authorities expect an increase in attempted border crossings as the weather improves, and Abbott warned that the White House will continue to feel the heat from Austin.

“Instead of enforcing federal immigration laws, the Biden administration is allowing unhindered access for Mexican cartels to smuggle people into our country,” his spokesman said.

“Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard troops, DPS troopers and more barriers, using every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden’s ongoing border crisis.”