EAGLE PASS, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday announced he would continue his efforts to expand control of the Southern border beyond Shelby Park in Eagle Pass.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday announced he would continue his efforts to expand control of the Southern border beyond Shelby Park in Eagle Pass

  • The governor visited the park with his fellow GOP governors, including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas and Gov. Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana

  • Abbott’s message was clear: “We’re not going to contain ourselves to this park. We are expanding to further areas to make sure we expand our level of deterrence and denial of illegal entry into the United States” 

  • Shelby Park has been the focus of Abbott’s border security efforts in recent months. It’s a popular destination for migrants looking to cross the border into the U.S. Many migrants have drowned trying to cross the border in the dangerous waters of the Rio Grande

The governor visited the park Sunday, holding a press conference with his fellow GOP governors, including Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas and Gov. Gov. Greg Gianforte of Montana.

Abbott’s message was clear: “We’re not going to contain ourselves to this park. We are expanding to further areas to make sure we expand our level of deterrence and denial of illegal entry into the United States,” he said. 

The governor also took to social media platform X, previously Twitter, to announce his plan ahead of the conference.

At the rally, groups of people held up signs in support of securing the border and sold Trump merchandise like “MAGA” hats and flags. On the opposite end, another group was protesting Abbott's arrival ahead of the press conference with signs that read “Abbott 4 Treason” and “Our River, Our Land, Our Decision.”

Shelby Park has been the focus of Abbott’s border security efforts in recent months. It’s a popular destination for migrants looking to cross the border into the U.S. Many migrants have drowned trying to cross the border in the dangerous waters of the Rio Grande. Abbott has also barred federal troops from having full access to the park.

Texas took control of the park in January, and the rate of border crossings in the area has gone down since then.

According to The New York Times, Abbott’s special adviser for issues relating to the border, Mike Banks, said in an interview that the state is looking to bring what they’re doing in Eagle Pass to other border communities.

“We are going to keep expanding out that way and doing everything we can to stop the illegal immigration at the line, on the river,” Banks said. “It’s fair to say that we are going to go anywhere where illegal immigration is happening, and we’re going to hit them at the point of entry to prevent them from making the entry onto the soil.”