Migrants drowned while crossing Rio Grande before Border Patrol contacted state, Justice Department acknowledges
WASHINGTON — Three migrants had already drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass on Friday night when Texas National Guardsmen turned away U.S. Border Patrol agents seeking access to the river, the federal government said in a recent court filing.
The deaths — and disputed reports on the timeline of the drownings — have exacerbated tensions between Texas and the federal…