Texas counties being overrun by 'dangerous' level of migrants

BRACKETVILLE, Texas - Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order Thursday that mobilized Texas national guardsmen and Department of Public Safety troopers to the border so they can apprehend and turn away migrants. The governor says small counties are getting overrun by migrants.

In Kinney County, sheriff Brad Coe said their numbers are dangerous and unsustainable.

“I have never in my 37 year career here in Kinney County seen it this bad," Coe said.

Kinney county has less than 3,700 people. So far this year they have seen 1,600 total migrants walk over the border unobstructed.

“If nothing else we are going double, maybe triple what we did last year," the sheriff said.

Thursday morning two children walking across seemingly unaccompanied, which is just the first page in a very long tale.

With just six full time deputies, the sheriff says he does not have the resources to stop them.

“The full time deputies spend 90% of their time dealing with illegal aliens because they are trespassing on private property they are cutting fences, Coe said.

Almost daily they have car chases like the one shown in the video - where 12 migrants and a smuggler are attempting to evade police, stop, and try to run. When that happens the sheriffs call the school district and tell them to hold in place. Stopping kids from going class to class so they don’t get hit the high speed cars.

“Once to twice a year, now we are having them once to twice a month," Brackett ISD Eliza Diaz said.

All of the towns schools are on Ann Street - a hub for migrant chases. The district has now put boulders outside their schools to stop potential out of control vehicles from impaling their buildings.

“That was just as a safety precaution to try to slow down any type of accident that may occur due to a high speed chase," Diaz said.

Diaz said it is alarming seeing migrants walk by the school or speed by in cars.

Coe said with the drain on the counties resources, they will not survive

“I couldn’t give you a day but I can just say it’s not much longer," Coe said.

Coe added that they are in desperate need of more action by the governor beyond this executive order.

“He can send all the troops he wants to to the border, but the thing is, to keep them at bay or to deter them from coming across and they are probably going to be helped out and taken to a processing center. That’s not what we need. What we need is for them to be there and make it difficult for them to cross, period."