
Approximately 300 Texas National Guard soldiers are heading to the South Texas border city of Laredo to support U.S. Border Patrol agents,Laredo Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jesse Muñoz announced via a local news outlet on Friday. The troops are expected to arrive in Laredo within a month.
While immigration-related duties fall under federal jurisdiction, Governor Greg Abbott announced an agreement with President Donald Trump last week granting Texas National Guard soldiers the authority to make immigration arrests as long as they are accompanied by federal counterparts. The move expands Texas' role in federal immigration enforcement.