“Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows,” Gov. Greg Abbott said of border crossings, while offering few details about the wall.
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said on Thursday that the state would build a border wall with Mexico, providing few specifics about construction that would extend one of former President Donald J. Trump’s favored projects.
It is unclear if the state has the authority to build a wall in an attempt to deter immigrants, a majority of whom have been fleeing poverty and violence from Central America.
Speaking at a meeting with state law enforcement officials in Del Rio, a small border city that has seen a large influx of immigrants since President Biden took office in January, Mr. Abbott said he expected to announce more details about the wall next week.
Mr. Abbott explained that he would start by setting up barriers to identify people trying to cross the border and by deploying additional law enforcement agents to assist the Border Patrol. He has blamed the increase in migrant crossings on Mr. Biden’s unwinding of Mr. Trump’s restrictive border rules.
“It is out of control and a change is needed,” he said. “Some of these border barriers will be built immediately.”
Then the governor revealed, to thundering applause, that Texas would also build a border wall.
“While securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows,” Mr. Abbott said, adding, “Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve.”
In March, Mr. Abbott put into action what he called Operation Lone Star, which allows the deployment of hundreds of agents and resources along the southwestern border to combat the smuggling of human beings, drugs and guns, said Victor Escalon, a regional director with the Texas Department of Public Safety. But deciding to build a border wall may be a first for a state executive.
Mr. Abbott’s announcement was quickly criticized by immigration advocates, who said it would most likely face legal challenges.
“There is no substantive plan,” said Edna Yang, co-executive director of American Gateways, an immigration legal aid and advocacy group in Texas. “It’s not going to make any border community or county safer.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas tweeted, “To be clear, this is an attempt to distract from his governing failures while targeting vulnerable immigrants.”
Mr. Trump made the border wall a signature campaign promise and often pressed his homeland security officials to speed the construction of the project, waiving federal contracting and environmental laws in the process.
During his campaign, Mr. Trump promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, but he instead redirected billions from Defense Department funds that were initially meant for anti-narcotics or construction programs. His administration eventually built more than 450 miles of new wall, primarily in areas where dilapidated barriers once stood. Most of the construction was in Arizona, where migrants already struggle through rough terrain to cross the border, rather than in South Texas, an area prone to illegal crossings.
Private landowners in South Texas emerged as an obstacle to Mr. Trump’s construction, with many resisting the administration’s efforts to seize their land through eminent domain. And then Mr. Biden suspended construction of the wall on his first day in office, part of a series of actions to roll back Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda.
The Biden administration and Mr. Abbott have clashed over how to handle the thousands of unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border in recent months. The administration was unable to redirect federal funds designated for disaster aid to assist in border processing when Mr. Abbott refused to provide his consent.
At the time, Mr. Abbott said that the federal government, not Texas, was responsible for asserting control over the border.
When the migrant children filled detention facilities run by the Border Patrol, the Biden administration responded by opening temporary facilities in a Dallas convention center, a San Antonio sports arena and other vacant sites around the country. While Vice President Kamala Harris was in Guatemala this week, she discouraged potential migrants from traveling to the border, telling them, “Do not come.”
The Biden administration still uses a pandemic emergency rule, known as Title 42, that empowers border agents to rapidly turn away most single adults and many families crossing the border into the hands of Mexican authorities. Mr. Biden has exempted unaccompanied minors from the policy, which prevents most other migrants from having a chance to apply for asylum.
Some families, however, have been able to cross into Texas because of a change in Mexican law that barred the detention of small immigrant children, and a lack of shelter capacity south of the border. Instead of detaining those families, U.S. authorities release many into Texas communities.
Epoch Times provides more details:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a major border security plan on Thursday that involves building its own barriers along the Mexico border and arresting illegal immigrants who enter the state.
The new comprehensive plan to stamp out illegal border crossings in Texas was announced at a Border Security Summit in Del Rio, attended by Texas law enforcement, county judges, mayors, district attorneys, and landowners.
The Republican governor said he will sign state budgets that will appropriate more than $1 billion to increase border security, and that Texas will expand its border barrier, with more details to come next week.
He also said that Texas will be arresting illegal immigrants who enter the state. “We’re going to start making arrests—sending a message to anyone thinking about coming here—you’re not getting a free pass. You’re getting a straight pass to a jail cell,” he wrote on Twitter.
The new order builds upon Abbott’s disaster declaration that had directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to enforce all federal and state criminal laws for criminal trespassing, illegal entry, smuggling, and human trafficking. The disaster declaration also called for more jail space for the arrested illegal immigrants.
Also as part of the enhanced border security plan, a new “Governor’s Task Force on Border and Homeland Security,” will meet every two weeks to discuss updates on the southern border and make recommendations on ways to stop the crisis, Abbott said. The task force will comprise representatives from multiple state agencies.
Furthermore, both Texas and Arizona will invoke an interstate compact, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, under which both Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey are seeking the support of other states to send law enforcement officials to help with arrests and jailing. The two governors say they are also asking for resources such as drones and helicopters to help landowners, who have suffered damage to their property due to the surge in illegal immigration.
In a statement, Abbott said that the Biden administration’s policies have led to the humanitarian crisis at the southern border with “record levels” of illegal immigrants, drugs, and contraband pouring into Texas.
“While securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows,” Abbott said. “The state is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally.
“Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs, and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve. This is an unprecedented crisis, and Texas is responding with the most robust and comprehensive border plan the nation has ever seen.”
Article 1 (archive)
2 (archive)
Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas said on Thursday that the state would build a border wall with Mexico, providing few specifics about construction that would extend one of former President Donald J. Trump’s favored projects.
It is unclear if the state has the authority to build a wall in an attempt to deter immigrants, a majority of whom have been fleeing poverty and violence from Central America.
Speaking at a meeting with state law enforcement officials in Del Rio, a small border city that has seen a large influx of immigrants since President Biden took office in January, Mr. Abbott said he expected to announce more details about the wall next week.
Mr. Abbott explained that he would start by setting up barriers to identify people trying to cross the border and by deploying additional law enforcement agents to assist the Border Patrol. He has blamed the increase in migrant crossings on Mr. Biden’s unwinding of Mr. Trump’s restrictive border rules.
“It is out of control and a change is needed,” he said. “Some of these border barriers will be built immediately.”
Then the governor revealed, to thundering applause, that Texas would also build a border wall.
“While securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows,” Mr. Abbott said, adding, “Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve.”
In March, Mr. Abbott put into action what he called Operation Lone Star, which allows the deployment of hundreds of agents and resources along the southwestern border to combat the smuggling of human beings, drugs and guns, said Victor Escalon, a regional director with the Texas Department of Public Safety. But deciding to build a border wall may be a first for a state executive.
Mr. Abbott’s announcement was quickly criticized by immigration advocates, who said it would most likely face legal challenges.
“There is no substantive plan,” said Edna Yang, co-executive director of American Gateways, an immigration legal aid and advocacy group in Texas. “It’s not going to make any border community or county safer.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas tweeted, “To be clear, this is an attempt to distract from his governing failures while targeting vulnerable immigrants.”
Mr. Trump made the border wall a signature campaign promise and often pressed his homeland security officials to speed the construction of the project, waiving federal contracting and environmental laws in the process.
During his campaign, Mr. Trump promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, but he instead redirected billions from Defense Department funds that were initially meant for anti-narcotics or construction programs. His administration eventually built more than 450 miles of new wall, primarily in areas where dilapidated barriers once stood. Most of the construction was in Arizona, where migrants already struggle through rough terrain to cross the border, rather than in South Texas, an area prone to illegal crossings.
Private landowners in South Texas emerged as an obstacle to Mr. Trump’s construction, with many resisting the administration’s efforts to seize their land through eminent domain. And then Mr. Biden suspended construction of the wall on his first day in office, part of a series of actions to roll back Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda.
The Biden administration and Mr. Abbott have clashed over how to handle the thousands of unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border in recent months. The administration was unable to redirect federal funds designated for disaster aid to assist in border processing when Mr. Abbott refused to provide his consent.
At the time, Mr. Abbott said that the federal government, not Texas, was responsible for asserting control over the border.
When the migrant children filled detention facilities run by the Border Patrol, the Biden administration responded by opening temporary facilities in a Dallas convention center, a San Antonio sports arena and other vacant sites around the country. While Vice President Kamala Harris was in Guatemala this week, she discouraged potential migrants from traveling to the border, telling them, “Do not come.”
The Biden administration still uses a pandemic emergency rule, known as Title 42, that empowers border agents to rapidly turn away most single adults and many families crossing the border into the hands of Mexican authorities. Mr. Biden has exempted unaccompanied minors from the policy, which prevents most other migrants from having a chance to apply for asylum.
Some families, however, have been able to cross into Texas because of a change in Mexican law that barred the detention of small immigrant children, and a lack of shelter capacity south of the border. Instead of detaining those families, U.S. authorities release many into Texas communities.
Epoch Times provides more details:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a major border security plan on Thursday that involves building its own barriers along the Mexico border and arresting illegal immigrants who enter the state.
The new comprehensive plan to stamp out illegal border crossings in Texas was announced at a Border Security Summit in Del Rio, attended by Texas law enforcement, county judges, mayors, district attorneys, and landowners.
The Republican governor said he will sign state budgets that will appropriate more than $1 billion to increase border security, and that Texas will expand its border barrier, with more details to come next week.
He also said that Texas will be arresting illegal immigrants who enter the state. “We’re going to start making arrests—sending a message to anyone thinking about coming here—you’re not getting a free pass. You’re getting a straight pass to a jail cell,” he wrote on Twitter.
The new order builds upon Abbott’s disaster declaration that had directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to enforce all federal and state criminal laws for criminal trespassing, illegal entry, smuggling, and human trafficking. The disaster declaration also called for more jail space for the arrested illegal immigrants.
Also as part of the enhanced border security plan, a new “Governor’s Task Force on Border and Homeland Security,” will meet every two weeks to discuss updates on the southern border and make recommendations on ways to stop the crisis, Abbott said. The task force will comprise representatives from multiple state agencies.
Furthermore, both Texas and Arizona will invoke an interstate compact, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, under which both Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey are seeking the support of other states to send law enforcement officials to help with arrests and jailing. The two governors say they are also asking for resources such as drones and helicopters to help landowners, who have suffered damage to their property due to the surge in illegal immigration.
In a statement, Abbott said that the Biden administration’s policies have led to the humanitarian crisis at the southern border with “record levels” of illegal immigrants, drugs, and contraband pouring into Texas.
“While securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows,” Abbott said. “The state is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally.
“Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs, and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve. This is an unprecedented crisis, and Texas is responding with the most robust and comprehensive border plan the nation has ever seen.”
Article 1 (archive)
2 (archive)
