ABC-7 Xtra: DPS sees rise in pursuits following growing number of migrant crossings

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- As the number of migrants coming into the country illegally through our borders grows, so do the number of pursuits by Department of Public Safety troopers. 

Although no official numbers have been released, news coverage of pursuits and crashes has gone up dramatically from one end of the Borderland to the other.

Many DPS troopers are in the Borderland as part of Operation Lone Star, Governor Gregg Abbott's effort to combat illegal migration into Texas.

Customs and Border Protection revised its pursuit policy following a crash downtown in 2020 that claimed the lives of seven people.

Border Patrol agents say they are thankful for the help DPS troopers provide by stopping and arresting smugglers.

Agents are called to apprehend the migrants that smugglers transport. 

But concerns are also rising among people living in the Borderland that innocent Borderland bystanders could be caught in the middle unless something is done.