(CNN) — Eagle Pass officials were blindsided when state officials took control of a city park at the behest of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott without consulting the city, Mayor Rolando Salinas told CNN by phone Thursday.
“The state has taken full custody and control of Selby Park,” Salinas said.
Shelby Park is a public space used by Abbott's border security initiative, known as Operation Lone Star, to house resources and equipment, including controversial border buoys and razor wire.
Salinas said he received a call Wednesday from a Texas Department of Public Safety official who said the state was taking full control of the park under an emergency declaration issued by Abbott over immigration.
But the mayor says he doesn't understand the timing of the emergency declaration, as encounters with immigrants in Eagle Pass have dropped dramatically. Unlike a few weeks ago, when thousands of migrants visited in a single day, Salinas said only 527 migrants visited yesterday – something he says has happened over the course of a week.
On Wednesday night, Salinas posted a video on Facebook showing a makeshift fence guarded by military vehicles at the park's entrance.
“It's something the city didn't sign off on,” Salinas said in the video. “This is not the city of Eagle Pass, and people are refusing to park.”
“Our legal team is looking into what's going on to make sure everything is being done legally,” Salinas added.
Texas has used a disaster declaration since May 2021, which was renewed in December 2023, to take over Eagle Pass Public Park this week, Rene Ease, a spokesman for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, told CNN on Thursday.
Texas has added miles of razor wire and anti-climb barriers along our southern border to stop and prevent the record levels of illegal immigration invited by President Biden's reckless open border policies. Instead of enforcing federal immigration laws, the Biden administration is allowing Mexican cartels unfettered access to traffic people into our country. “Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS police officers, and other deterrents using all tools and tactics to respond to President Biden's ongoing border crisis,” Eas said in a statement.
Eze did not respond to CNN's questions about the timing of the park's takeover, as encounters with immigrants have declined recently.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas said at a news conference Thursday that “the state has made it clear that it will reimburse the city” for costs associated with the acquisition. “We're not saying, 'Okay, fine,' but at least we'll get paid. It's still unacceptable,” Salinas said.
