The National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) issued a statement last week in support of the steps the Texas National Guard has taken to secure the southern border and blasting President Joe Biden’s administration for unleashing a “catastrophe” on the United States.
A statement released on Thursday by the NBPC, which is the official union for over 18,000 U.S. Customs Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees, pushed back against what the union described as “fake news” reports that Border Patrol agents would be arresting Texas National Guardsmen at the border.
The statement was released as Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and the Texas National Guard continued to install razor-wire barriers along the southern border last week despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Biden administration to remove the barriers.
“Rank-and file BP agents are not going to start arresting TX NG members for following their LAWFUL orders. That’s fake news,” the NBPC stated. “TX NG and rank-and-file BP agents work together and respect each other’s jobs. Period. If TX NG members have LAWFUL orders, then they have to carry out those orders.”
The NBPC explained that members of the Texas National Guard understand that Border Patrol agents have orders to follow as well, regardless of how “unpopular or distasteful” the orders are among Border Patrol agents. However, the union added that unlawful orders “will not be followed.”
“Rank-and-file BP agents appreciate and respect what TX has been doing to defend their state in the midst of this catastrophe that the Biden Admin has unleashed on America,” the NBPC continued. “We want to be perfectly clear, there is no fight between rank-and-file BP agents and the TX NG, Gov. Abott, or TX DPS. It may make flashy headlines, but it simply isn’t true.”
An anonymous CBP official told Fox News last week that its relationship with the Texas Military Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety “remains strong” as Border Patrol’s focus continues to be “protecting this country and its people.”
“Bottom line: Border Patrol has no plans to remove infrastructure (c-wire) placed by Texas along the border,” the official said. “Our posture remains the same. If we need to access an area for emergency response, we will do so. When that happens, we will coordinate with Texas DPS & TMD.”
