Eagle Pass' Shelby Park reopens to the public after Texas military withdrawal
The city park in Eagle Pass that became the center of the illegal immigration debate and was taken over by Texas authorities more than a year ago has re-opened to the public.
CBS News Texas was granted access to Shelby Park in January of 2024, when the Texas Military Department took over and limited access to federal border authorities. Shelby Park previously served as a processing center for the U.S Border Patrol and was seized by the Texas Military Department on the order of Gov. Greg Abbott in 2024.
Since it was taken over, border and immigrant rights advocates have continued advocating for the park to be reopened for public access. Amerika Garcia-Grewal with Frontera Federation said that there is still work to be done, and the park isn't back to what it was before.
"It feels amazing to be able to be here, but one of the things I want to say is that we don't actually have full access to what we lost," Garcia-Grewal said. "The National Guard has left the gates of Shelby Park, but they are still very present. The boat ramp is still closed off."
Jessie Fuentes, a member of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition, agreed with Garcia-Grewal.
"The park is in just filthy conditions compared to what it used to be," Fuentes said. "You could see that the grounds have been trampled on. They are still there. They are not relenting on riverside, and they have not removed nothing."
A decrease in Texas-Mexico border crossings
Daily illegal crossings in the area were reported to be in the several thousands during its peak period.
The Texas Department of Public Safety Officials said between 2023-2024, they would average anywhere between 2,000 to 3,000 illegal border crossings in the Eagle Pass area and Shelby Park. As of April 2024, that number dropped to an average of five encounters a day. Now, daily illegal crossings are almost non-existent, authorities said.
While the area is now open to the public, both Fuentes and Garcia-Grewal said there is still a law enforcement presence inside, and the controversial physical barriers are still set up.
A spokesman for Gov. Abbott released a statement about the re-opening that reads, "Because of President Trump's swift and decisive leadership in securing the border, illegal crossings in Eagle Pass are at a record low. As a result, there is no longer a need for Texas to maintain northern-facing barriers, though the state will maintain barriers and a presence on the border itself."
The future of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass
Advocates for the park said that moving forward, their focus will be on restoring and cleaning the area because they don't think the National Guard or Texas officials will.
"Are we going to be compensated for the damages that were done to that park," questioned Fuentes. "Are we going to be allowed to reinstate normalcy as going to a river like any other location?"
