Texas Migrants Left in Open Field Amid Tropical Storm

Migrants were exposed to the elements on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Harold moved through Texas and crossed into Mexico.

Harold was named Tuesday and has since weakened to a tropical depression. The storm still threatened heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds as it continued its westward trek. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued an advisory Tuesday night stating that despite the storm's weakening strength, south Texas and northern Mexico should remain vigilant. However, the storm didn't deter a group of smugglers that guided illegal immigrants into Texas.

"This morning, criminal smugglers guided 147 illegal immigrants across the Rio Grande in Starr County during the beginning of a tropical storm. The smugglers left the immigrants, which included children, in an open field w/o cover," Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesperson Chris Olivarez posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday night.

The state of the U.S.-Mexico border remains a bone of contention among Republicans. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for president, has pledged to authorize deadly force against illegal immigrants who are smuggling drugs over the border if he is elected.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has criticized President Joe Biden's border policies and has called for the resignation of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Olivarez wrote that "until there are consequences & prevention of unlawful entries between the ports of entry, criminal smuggling organizations will continue to exploit & profit off of mass illegal immigration."

Olivarez included a video of the migrants with his post that showed dozens of people standing together in an open field before dawn as it rained. Olivarez added that Texas DPS troopers responded and referred the migrants to U.S. Border Patrol.

Usually, border crossings pick up right before a severe weather event, Olivarez told Newsweek. He said it is rare for migrants to cross in the midst of a severe storm.

"It was kind of odd to see 100-plus cross during the storm itself. That in itself is pretty rare to see. It took us by surprise," Olivarez said, adding that there is no infrastructure in the area to protect the migrants or troopers from severe weather.

Olivarez said the smugglers brought the migrants across the Rio Grande River on a raft. Winds were above 20 mph and heavy rain was falling. When the migrants arrived in Texas, DPS troopers gathered the group and directed them to Border Patrol to be bused to a safe location. Olivarez said there were no detentions that he is aware of.

The migrants were from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. The group consisted of families and children.

In July, Abbott—who last year sent two buses of migrants to Vice President Kamala Harris' house at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.—authorized the installation of a floating barrier equipped with saws along the Rio Grande to dissuade migrants from crossing the river to illegally enter Texas.

A spokesperson from Abbott's press office previously told Newsweek that Texas has allocated more than $9 billion of Texas taxpayer money "to respond to President Biden's border crisis." Methods included "deploying Texas National Guard soldier and DPS troopers, busing migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities, building our own border wall and installing strategic barriers," according to the statement.

However, some of the actions have attracted criticism. On Sunday, Texas bused 37 migrants to Los Angeles as Tropical Storm Hilary battered the city and caused severe flooding. Lindsay Toczylowski, executive director of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, called the action reckless.

Abbott also is facing challenges in court regarding his actions. The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Texas and Abbott regarding the saw barrier, claiming that it posed a threat to navigation and presented humanitarian concerns.

Abbott has vowed to fight the lawsuit, pledging to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.