Shelby Park left unexpectedly open on Sunday after almost two years of state military occupation

Editor's note: this story was updated at 9:53 PM on Sunday, April 6, 2025 to include more details about Shelby Park's condition and to more closely reflect the status of the state's occupation.

Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, was open on Sunday, with no public notice to local residents or local officials and no official word on its long-term status.

"Yes, the park is open today," Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas said. "But I’m waiting for a call because no one has told me anything yet."

In 2023, the Texas Military Department (TMD) took control of the park under Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s controversial border security mission, Operation Lone Star (OLS), to keep migrants from crossing the Rio Grande.

It was from Shelby Park that Gov. Abbott implemented some of the most extreme physical deterrents against migrants crossing the Rio Grande at the height of OLS. These included barbed concertina wire along the banks of the Rio Grande and floating buoys with circular saws in the water.

Mayor Salinas said his office was alerted to a pending call from Gov. Abbott. State officials did not immediately respond to a request from Across The Americas for comment.

Amerika Garcia Grewal, co-director of the Eagle Pass–based nonprofit Frontera Federation, an organization which focuses on reducing over-policing along the U.S.-Mexico border, visited Shelby Park on Sunday, after hearing rumors that the state was leaving.

“There was no challenge at the door. There was no barricade,” Grewal said in disbelief. “I was able to drive straight into the park. I watched a caravan of  vehicles pull out while I was sitting there talking to my dad."

Grewal said she spent about two hours in the park on Sunday without being disturbed, but was informed by military personnel that she was not authorized to be on a dirt road between a fence and the military shipping containers placed along the banks of the Rio Grande when she ventured past the common park area.

The boat ramp to the river at the park remained barricaded, while state military continued to guard the waters atop the containers. The concertina on the banks of the Rio Grande beyond the containers remained. Some of the state's equipment was seen relocated to a fenced-in area.

In January 2024, a woman and two children drowned near Shelby Park while attempting to cross the Rio Grande. The incident drew national attention after reports suggested U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were nearby but unable to intervene due to barriers installed as part of Texas' border enforcement efforts.

Since the occupation began, Eagle Pass residents, activists and local officials have staged demonstrations opposing the state's control and militarization of the park, citing humanitarian concerns and the loss of access to a public community space. For some, the takeover became a symbol of state overreach and a violation of the spirit of a cherished public space.

Grewal said there was still debris from the security operation littered across the complex on Sunday.

"The fields will take years to restore to playing condition," said Grewal. "This has profoundly impacted the community’s ability to enjoy this public space. We urge collaborative efforts to restore full access and rehabilitate the park, ensuring it can again serve as a safe, inclusive resource for Eagle Pass residents."

By 2024, the status of Shelby Park was highly contested and unclear, despite the state's official claims that it had relinquished control.

Eagle Pass residents, including prominent local leaders and activists, consistently reported being denied entry into the park, sometimes under threat of criminal trespass charges.