Lincoln, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska State Patrol officials have defended their state-funded mission to the U.S.-Mexican border in Texas, arguing that they answered a call for help from fellow law enforcement officers amid a surge in illegal border crossings. Patrol officials described the situation in Del Rio, Texas, as a humanitarian crisis, and said many locals welcomed them. The agency has come under some criticism in Nebraska for agreeing to not seek repayment for the services it provided to Texas at Nebraska taxpayers’ expense.