Texas Gov. Greg Abbott seized control of a public park in the border city of Eagle Pass as part of his local immigration enforcement operation, the city's mayor said in a video posted on Facebook but later deleted. As reported by NBC News, state forces took over Shelby Park on Wednesday night, located along the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, which serves as the river border between the United States and Mexico.

In the video, the mayor of Eagle Pass, Rolando Salinas, expressed displeasure with the situation, showing military vehicles along a newly erected chain-link fence at the entrance to the park. Salinas said the acquisition of the park was not requested by the city and that he was informed of the takeover Wednesday morning by a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) official. According to the mayor, the state has taken "full control" of the park indefinitely.

Abbott's spokeswoman, Renae Eze, justified the action by mentioning the need to bolster security at the southern border due to record levels of illegal immigration, attributing this to President Joe Biden's open border policies. Eze stated that Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard troops, DPS troopers and implement more roadblocks to respond to the ongoing border crisis.

In July 2023, Mayor Salinas declared Shelby Parkprivate property to facilitate the arrest of migrants accused of trespassing. However, the city reversed this statement in the face of negative reaction from residents.