What is the Texas National Guard and why does it matter in this yearโs gubernatorial election?
A governorโs military powers are often not discussed as part of the election process, in favor of other prominent issues like education and taxes. But with Operation Lone Star in plain view, voters may have more questions this election.
Gov. Abbott plans to return migrants in country illegally to ports of entry
Greg Abbott on Thursday issued an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety to return people arrested in the country illegally to ports of entry on the border. However, the legality of the order is not immediately clear as ports of entry are operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a federal law enforcement agency. The Monitor is requesting clarity from local stakeholders and the federal government on the legalities of giving state agencies access to federal jurisdictions. Abbott, who is running for re-election, signed the executive order at 1 p.m. and issued a news release about 30 minutes later. Abbottโs release claims that 5,000 migrants were apprehended over the holiday weekend.
myrgv.comGovernor visits to provide border updates, explain focus on caravans
Flanked by members of the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, Gov. Yet, the latest intelligence provided by DPS and Texas National Guard suggested there is โsome evidenceโ the caravans disbanded to some extent, Abbott said. Itโs just that they may be coming in ones or twos as opposed to large caravans,โ Abbott said. Members of the Texas National Guard are also preparing for mass migration events which can be mobile and accommodate different locations, the governor said. A command-and-control post was established by the Texas National Guard at the Anzalduas International Bridge in preparation for a mass-migration response, according to the governorโs office.
myrgv.comLetters: Immigrants need our help
State has the Texas National Guard here โ have them help direct and organize, and test for COVID-19 as well as anything else we fear. Move some of those judicial sections down to the borders to help with processing asylum seekers. Folks from Ukraine, Central American countries and some South American countries need our help. Use our taxes as we see fit, not some wealthy yahoo who cares nothing for those in need. Also, if Jesus wanted prayers to be done in private, why do church buildings exist in every corner of the world?
myrgv.comTexas National Guard guidance discouraging soldiers from saving drowning migrants draws scrutiny โ Houston Public Media
Critics have said that a lack of guidance and equipment to perform life-saving rescues leaves soldiers dangerously unprepared to deal with a common scenario on the border while dehumanizing the migrants attempting to cross the river.
houstonpublicmedia.orgGuardsman who drowned on Texas border had no float device
AUSTIN (AP) โ A Texas National Guard member who drowned on the U.S.-Mexico border while on duty was not equipped with a flotation device when he jumped in the Rio Grande to help a migrant who was stru[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comTexas soldier who drowned trying to help migrants wasnโt equipped with flotation device
Spc. Bishop Evans died after jumping into the Rio Grande to save migrants. He and other members of Operation Lone Star were not provided safety equipment. Texas Military Department said an order for buoys and ropes was made but has not been fulfilled.
Crews recover body of missing Texas guardsman on border
EAGLE PASS (AP) โ Search crews on Monday recovered the body of a Texas National Guard member who went missing after jumping in the river on the U.S.-Mexico border to help a migrant who was struggling [San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comSheriff: Texas Guardsman missing after border rescue attempt
EAGLE PASS (AP) โ A Texas National Guard member was missing Friday after going into the river along the U.S.-Mexico border to help a migrant who was struggling to swim across, according to a local sheriff.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comTexas National Guard soldier drowns during attempted migrant rescue
A Texas National Guard soldier drowned early Friday as he attempted to rescue migrants caught in the swift currents of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Tex. The Guard member was deployed as part of Gov. Greg Abbott's border security initiative, Operation Lone Star.
washingtonpost.comNational Guard troops were dispatched to famous Texas ranches with private security as part of border mission
The dispatching of troops to the sprawling private ranches, far from the border, raises questions about the use of National Guard troops, who have widely decried the mission as aimless, political and oversized, as the cost of the effort has already ballooned to $2 billion a year.
โI hate it hereโ: National Guard members sound off on Texas border mission in leaked morale survey
Frustration, anxiety and anger prevailed in the survey responses obtained by the The Texas Tribune and Military Times. The survey includes responses from nearly 250 members of Task Force South, one of six units that fall under the umbrella of Operation Lone Star.
Deplorable conditions, unclear mission: Texas National Guard troops call Abbottโs rushed border operation a disaster
The governor has sent waves of troops to the border as Guard officials scramble to execute a massive mobilization that would normally take months to plan. Some Guard members say the operation has set back their income, education and well-being.
Probe of Texas National Guard border mission demanded over suicide attempts, abysmal conditions and delayed pay
The call for action from Texas Democrats comes as another service member based in the city of Pharr survived a suicide attempt on Sunday, according to an incident report obtained by Army Times and The Texas Tribune.
Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the border
Abbottโs political challenger said guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star are facing late pay, being exposed to COVID-19, experiencing supply shortages and dealing with added stress that has led to multiple suicides tied to the mission.
Gov. Abbott says Texas National Guard will start helping make border arrests
AUSTIN (AP) โ A Texas National Guard deployment along the U.S.-Mexico border will start helping troopers make arrests, Republican Gov.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]
sanmarcosrecord.comTexas National Guard deployed to get COVID-19 vaccines to homebound seniors
โThe good news is thereโs going to be a record amount of vaccines available across Texas this week with increasing numbers going forward,โ he said. Officials have hinted the next group of vaccine eligible Texans could include teachers and other essential workers. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses and have to be stored at temperatures well below freezing. AdThe program is modeled in part after the Save Our Seniors program in Corpus Christi, where Abbott made his remarks Thursday. There, some 2,000 doses have been given to homebound seniors through the local program, officials said.
Texas National Guard deployed to get COVID-19 vaccines to older Texans who are homebound
Some 1,100 members of the Texas National Guard will administer vaccines to older people in their homes in rural and isolated areas of the state in an effort to get the majority of Texans who are 65 and older inoculated against COVID-19 by the end of March, Gov. Officials have hinted that the next group of vaccine eligible Texans could include teachers and other essential workers. The renewed effort to reach older Texans who are unable to leave or have difficulty leaving their homes, an effort dubbed Save Our Seniors, launches Monday, Abbott said. The teams will work with organizations like Meals on Wheels and nursing groups to identify older Texans who donโt have access to mass vaccination hubs, drive-thru clinics or doctorsโ offices, TDEM Chief Nim Kidd said. There, some 2,000 doses have been given to homebound older people through the local program, officials said.
chron.comTexas National Guard teams will vaccinate residents for COVID-19 in five rural counties, Gov. Greg Abbott announces
Soldiers with the Texas National Guard work at a drive-through COVID-19 testing center in Smithville on May 5, 2020. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that National Guard troops will vaccinate residents in five rural counties as part of a new pilot program. Credit: Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via USA TODAY NETWORKStarting Thursday, state mobile vaccination teams staffed by Texas National Guard members will be deployed to five rural Texas counties to administer coronavirus vaccines to qualified residents. National Guard teams will visit DeWitt, Marion, Real, Sherman and Starr counties as part of a newly-created State Mobile Vaccine Pilot Program announced by Gov. On Wednesday, President Biden ordered full reimbursement to states that use the National Guard to increase the pace of vaccinations nationally.
Top military commander says Texas National Guard does not plan to patrol polling places
Don't expect the Texas National Guard to be patrolling polling places across the state on Election Day, according to a top Texas military commander. Major Gen. Tracy R. Norris tweeted that there's no plan in place right now for the Texas National Guard to have a presence at Houston polling places. "The Texas National Guard continues to support DPS guarding historical landmarks such as the Alamo and the State Capitol. A spokesman for the Guard, Brandon Jones told the Texas Tribune's Shawn Mulcahy that the National Guard presence was actually a continuation of peacekeeping efforts that launched during anti-police brutality protests. Jones revealed a few details about the Texas National Guard's plan to provide security in case disturbances erupt and guard buildings and Texas landmarks to San Antonio Express-News.
chron.comTV-radio listings: Oct. 28
Regis Prograis boxes with New Orleans heart, but Houston hands The Houston pro boxer begins his road back to another world title when he fights on Saturday. Last-minute challenge threatens drive-thru votes in Harris County In an effort to stop drive-thru voting in Harris Co., Republicans have filed a new lawsuit.
chron.comA week before the election, Texas National Guard prepares to deploy troops to cities
The Texas Army National Guard said Monday that up to 1,000 troops could be dispatched to cities across Texas ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Brandon Jones, a spokesperson for the Guard, said the deployment is not related to the election and troops would not be stationed at polling places. The newspaper reported that Guard members could arrive as soon as this weekend. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has not been contacted by either Abbott or the Guard about the deployment, spokesperson Mary Benton told The Texas Tribune on Tuesday. Separately, the FBIโs field office in Dallas warned that far-right extremists could pose a violent threat in North Texas around the election.
TV-radio listings: Oct. 27
Bread Man Baking Company loaves are coming to Whole Foods The company announced on Tuesday that its signature artisanal bread is available on bakery...Skeleton strip club ignites fight between homeowner and HOA This year, Angela Nava decided to do a something different with her Halloween decor.
chron.comTexas National Guard soldier dies during training at Fort Hood
FORT HOOD, Texas โ A fifth soldier in about three months has died at Fort Hood, according to authorities. โThe military is a family, and the entire Texas National Guard mourns with Sgt. The entire Texas Military Department mourns... Posted by Texas Military Department on Saturday, August 15, 2020Mooreโs cause of death has yet to be determined and an investigation is now underway. This marks the fifth death at the Fort Hood base. In late June, skeletal remains were found in a field near Fort Hood.
Gov. Abbott activates the Texas National Guard amid protests across the state
HOUSTON โ Gov. Greg Abbott has activated the Texas National Guard in response to protest violence throughout the state Saturday, according to a press release. โTexans have every right to exercise their first amendment rights, but violence and looting will not be tolerated,โ Abbott said in a statement. Earlier, Abbott announced DPS was sending more than 1,500 officers to assist local police departments. โAs Texans exercise their 1st Amendment rights, it is imperative that order is maintained and private property is protected.โ
Pentagon to deploy additional 2,100 troops to U.S.-Mexico border
A member of the Texas National Guard watches the Mexico-U.S. border from an outpost along the Rio Grande in Roma, Texas, U.S., April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Loren ElliottWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Wednesday it would send an additional 1,000 Texas National Guard and 1,100 active duty troops to the border with Mexico, the latest deployment in support of President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown. There are currently about 4,500 active duty and National Guard troops on the border with Mexico. The Pentagon first approved the high-profile deployment of active-duty U.S. troops to the Mexico border in October, before the November congressional elections. Last month, Mexico has deployed almost 15,000 soldiers and National Guard in the north of the country to stem the flow of illegal immigration across the border into the United States.
feeds.reuters.comPentagon approves additional 2,100 troops to U.S.-Mexico border
A member of the Texas National Guard watches the Mexico-U.S. border from an outpost along the Rio Grande in Roma, Texas, U.S., April 11, 2018. REUTERS/Loren ElliottWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Wednesday it had approved a request to send an additional 1,000 Texas National Guard and 1,100 active duty troops to the border with Mexico, the latest deployment in support of President Donald Trumps controversial immigration crackdown. Major Chris Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesman, told Reuters that acting Defense Secretary Richard Spencer had approved the additional troops on Tuesday night, and they would be assisting with tasks like logistical support and aerial surveillance. There are currently about 4,500 active duty and National Guard troops on the border with Mexico.
feeds.reuters.com