KINNEY COUNTY, Texas — The number of migrants crossing the southwest border has reached record highs.
Customs and Border Protection reported on Thursday that officers have encountered over 800,000 migrants so far this year. That’s almost 50,000 more than 2019.
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott has enforced his own immigration orders, arresting migrants on criminal trespass charges.
Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe said his office has been working with the Texas Department of Public Safety to try to crack down on the surge of foot traffic on ranches, and smuggling on the roadways.
“We don't have the resources and truly we don't,” said Coe. “But none of us want to just throw our hands up and walk away from it.”
Coe said neighbors in his county are frustrated.
“How many times are you going to fix your fence before you get tired of it? How many vehicles are you going to have stolen? How many break-ins are you going to have? How much revenue are you going to lose?” said Coe.
Since Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, sending hundreds of state troopers to border counties to assist with border security, Coe said the additional manpower is helping to close the gaps on the frontier.
Governor Abbott also directed troopers to start arresting migrants for criminal trespass.
Coe said since August 4, Kinney County has booked in 56 migrants to the jail.
“24 in one day,” said Coe.
He said the migrants are processed in Kinney or Val Verde County and then transported to the state facility in Dilley where they will wait for a court date.
Coe said the county attorney will most likely offer the migrants with no criminal record a plea deal, where they’ll then be transferred back to Border Patrol custody.
“Most of these are adult single men, males, Mexican, and they'll probably be returned to Mexico,” said Coe.
He said some of the migrants will try to claim political asylum after convicted, like the large group of Cubans arrested in Kinney County over the weekend.
“But they will have that criminal conviction,” said Coe.
Coe said although many migrants are still avoiding authorities and getting away, for now, the threat of arrest and jail time is working as a deterrent.
“I think it is making an impact because we haven't had a pursuit this month,” said Coe. “I know the larger groups are walking further north to get picked up, so that tells me we're doing something right. And we're starting to get word that some of the smugglers we've had here, that we've had to cut loose, are starting to show up in the western part of Val Verde County, and in the eastern part, Terrell County, so that tells me that they're looking for another another route. So, I think I think it's working.”