Texas State Officials Under Fire for Inhumane Practices at U.S.-Mexico Border, Raising Concerns from Human Rights Groups and the Biden Administration.

Texas state officials have come under fire for their efforts to deter illegal crossings along the U.S.-Mexico border, which have placed migrants, including children, at risk of drowning or being cut by razor wire. This has been revealed in an internal message from a state trooper this month, raising concerns about what he called inhumane practices.

The internal complaint, now under investigation by state officials, is in relation to Operation Lone Star, a sprawling border effort led by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican. The trooper claimed that Texas officials have received directions to withhold water from migrants and to push them back into the Rio Grande.

The operation has also seen the deployment of miles of floating barricades covered in razor wire on the river, which the officer likened to “traps” meant to snare migrants. This has been widely criticized by human rights groups, who argue that such measures are inhumane and put migrants in danger.

The Biden administration has also expressed its concern over the situation, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying in a statement that “the safety and well-being of migrants, including children, is of utmost importance.”

The Texas Department of Public Safety has said it is taking the trooper’s complaint seriously and is conducting an investigation. It is yet to be seen what action, if any, will be taken in response to the allegations.