Cuellar blames Abbott for three immigrant drownings: 'The state bears responsibility'

AUSTIN, Texas — Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), whose district runs along the state’s border with Mexico, said blame for the deaths of three immigrants who perished while crossing the border lies solely on the shoulders of Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX).

Cuellar, who has been a strong critic of the Biden administration’s border policies for three years, lambasted Abbott for locking out all federal Border Patrol agents from a 2.5-mile strip in Eagle Pass, Texas, where a woman and two children drowned late Friday. The drownings occurred just hours after the Justice Department issued a warning in court that Abbott’s actions would prevent federal law enforcement from responding to emergencies.