Texas governor authorizes state to return migrants to border

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has authorized state forces to apprehend and transport migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Republican on Thursday claimed the enforcement powers of federal agents, pushing the legal boundaries of Texas’ escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.

The federal government is responsible for enforcement of immigration laws.

But for more than a year Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavier hand.

Abbott stopped short of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico.

The move raises questions over the training they have to detain and transport migrants and is likely to invite legal challenges.

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