In the face of a historic border crisis due to the intentional reduction of federal immigration law enforcement, legislation has finally been passed in Texas to help fill the gap and better secure America’s southern border. Gov. Greg Abbott signed the bill on Friday, Sept. 17—as the crisis at the border intensifies, with more than 10,000 migrants, mostly Haitian, crowded under a bridge near Del Rio.
With substantial bipartisan support, HB 9 allocates a hefty $1.8 billion to enable state agencies and border counties to increase deterrence, protection of private property and targeted prosecution of state crimes committed by unauthorized migrants.
The single largest chunk of the new funding, $750 million, is being dedicated to the construction of up to 730 miles of border wall, a security need previously identified and approved by both Democrats and Republicans in the United States Congress, including the current President, but abruptly and irresponsibly cancelled at the outset of his administration. This appropriation is on top of the $250 million in emergency Texas border wall funding already allocated by Governor Greg Abbott.
In her testimony before the legislators, Texas National Guard Adjutant General Tracy Norris explained that that over 100 landowners along the state’s unsecured international border with Mexico have asked for the wall to be built on their land.
Initially, temporary fencing will be built by 12 of the Guard’s engineer teams at a pace expected to exceed over one mile per day, up from the current few hundred feet per day being built by only one engineer team. Eventually, the temporary fencing will be replaced by a permanent barrier that is being designed and managed by the Texas Facilities Commission, in coordination with the Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
During floor debate over the measure, Senator Eddie Lucio, a Brownsville Democrat, responded to objections by some fellow Democrats by saying that “I have talked to many of my constituents in Cameron and Hidalgo County…and I can tell you the vast majority of those people want border security and want the wall, believe it or not. And some of us come up here fighting against it, we’re actually speaking against what our constituents want.” Lucio was among the Democrat lawmakers who supported the measure, along with Senator Chuy Hinojosa of McAllen.
In addition to the wall funding, the measure allocates several hundreds of millions of dollars each to enable both the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to place additional boots on the ground. Up to 2500 Texas National Guardsmen will be deployed to the border region, and in addition to building border wall they have been deputized to execute criminal trespassing arrests of unauthorized migrants. Single males who are illegally crossing the border and trespassing are being targeted for these enforcement efforts.
The historic Texas border security effort is rounded out by $170 million in funding for three migrant intake centers, $100 million to reimburse border counties for related expenses and additional funds for court administration and the Border Prosecution Unit.
None of the legislators or state officials testifying in support of these actions are under any illusion that it is enough to fully compensate for the reduction of effort by the federal government in meeting its obligation to secure the border.
Many of the legislators on both sides of the aisle, in fact, made a point of lamenting the necessity the state faces of having to incur in such massive expenditures. Col. Steve McCraw, Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told legislators that prior to the crisis that erupted this year, he was hoping to see the state be in a position to reduce its border security expenditures.
However, the data is clear that both Texas and the nation are being inundated by a simultaneous spike in the trafficking of both people and illicit drugs across the border. The current leadership of the federal government shows no signs of being willing or able to fulfill its obligation. Thanks to the courageous and creative efforts of state lawmakers, Texas can and will work to fill the gap and take its border back.
SCAM AND REPORTED !
HACKER OR IDENTITY THIEF!!!!!!! AMAC, you need to stop this!
Good for you Texas, this is all because of a weak and incompetent national leadership from the top down. They insist on covid protection measures and yet leave our borders open, unbelievable.
After the wall is completed the Biden Administration should be dropped off on the Mexico side of the wall. Kamala will finally get to visit the border but will be on the other side of the good old USA looking in!!! Biden won’t know where he is, so not a problem Jill can show him his new home!! Couldn’t happen to a better group of losers!!! Thank you TEXAS!!
Glad to see some states taking charge of their safety and showing common sense
While I fully support the intent of the proposed Texas law, I also expect some federal Judge will quickly step in to issue a temporary stay order, in order to stop Texas from doing anything. This is based on the fact that the Supreme Court has already ruled more than once, that immigration enforcement is solely the purview of the federal government.
Texas is of course free to arrest any illegal alien they choose within their own state borders, but that of course does nothing to reduce the financial strain the massive influx of illegals coming across the southern border poses to the Texas economy. If Texas arrests as many illegals as they can, they will be stuck having to pay for their care and feeding on an indefinite basis. The Biden administration has essentially ended deportation of illegal aliens for committing a whole host of crimes.
Yes, Joe Biden has essentially erased our southern border and is importing an average of 6,000 illegal aliens each day into the country so they can be distributed to various red states around the country to alter future elections in the Democrats’ favor. That’s 2,000,000 a year of additional Democrat votes. Yes, it is a violation of his oath of office, which is yet another justification for a potential impeachment. At this point, the list of impeachable offenses by Biden is rather long. However, as long as Democrats control the House of Representatives, there is no means to bring an impeachment action against Biden.
This is what happens when the American people opt to just sit idly by in the face of a stolen election. Bad results naturally flow forth and keep on flowing until the American people either get sick and tired of one crisis after another or so many bad policies get implemented that the country is permanently changed into another socialist Utopia. I admire the people of Texas for at least trying to stand up to this administration.
I support Texas in this effort and condem the Biden administration for their lack of backbone.
o Hire Mercs
o Hire retired LE
o Hire Ret TX Rangers
o Hire Militia force
o drone patrols
o info from ranchers in area can Help for Intel
Texas needs to call up their National Guard NOW . Do NOT allow one illegal to cross into TEXAS SOVERIGN LAND !
The Texans have every right to protect their land from illegal intruders. Unfortunately, the costs may never be recovered from the federal government. What is in the best interest of their citizens, apparently the Texas legislature is taking the bold moves vacated by the feds. Enough is enough when it comes to dealing with the chaos at the boarder. The Marxist O’Biden administration has given up dealing with common sense approaches to protect our soverign boarders and to protect American citizens from unvaccinated individuals. While his positive ratings by the people from all over the country continue to drop drastically, O’Biden continues to play to the progressive left. This behavior will lead to big gains for conservatives in the upcoming elections, and will give the American citizens a chance to get back on a positive track both economically and poltically.
It’s a shame that the states have to do the Federal Governments job, they wouldn’t have to if the Federal Government was not ran by a corrupt bunch of losers who only want foreigners here so they can eventually make them Dumbecrat voters. People who sneak in to our Country are the same people who will sneak in to your house (putting it lightly ) steal your car and molest you children. They are lazy and only won’t free stuff and make more babies that will become more Dumbecrat voters. They have destroyed the Countries they have left and if given the chance they will destroy our Constitution and our way of life. They are not very smart, they have no concept of freedom, and can not make decisions on their own, they need big brother to look after them, they are little more than pre-teen children.
God Save America !
In August of this year, ‘Federal Judge Blocks Texas Gov. Abbott From Restricting Migrant Travel” – basically it’s a Catch-22. The Feds (DOJ) say that it’s the Federal government’s responsibility to control the border….but they aren’t going to…but since it’s their responsibility, the State of Texas can’t do it. You really have to wonder how did we get this far down the rabbit hole. As has been evidenced by the FBI and DOJ, the Federal authorities are under control of something that is not in the best interest of America.
I applaud Gov. Abbott’s efforts here. The border MUST be secured and the illegal invasion stopped. It’s even worse when we consider that virtually all of those immigrants will be dependent on the US taxpayer if allowed to enter. I will suggest that the border states consider something really radical. Invite ordinary Americans to volunteer to become border security until Biden and the feds wise up and do what’s right for our nation. That civilian security force “militia” would need to have the authority to enforce the border security including bearing arms for both enforcement and personal protection. It would almost certainly lead to some confrontations and perhaps some “collateral damage” that is not desired, but it could slow the invasion and force serious action by the feds. As old retired folks, my wife and I would likely volunteer to help. It shouldn’t be necessary, but Biden has made it so.
As long as Communist wannabe Democrats are in charge, We can count on the American economy to continue to be destroyed! . . . Jackass Joe IS nothing more than A Communist wannabe who is being set up and is in the process of destroying America for good! . . . And MUST BE STOPPED AT ALL COSTS!
This destruction of America is deliberate. It is the culmination of long term planning by the Communist Party. America has always been the only bulwark between freedom and Communism, and the Communists have been working to destroy this country since 1960.
It has to be stopped, and these evil people put to death for Treason.
Or these attacks against America will never stop.
I have the perfect solution to this problem when those extra 2500 NG troops get to the border have them armed to the teeth, make an announcement in every language necessary so that they all can understand that they have 2 hours to pack up and get their asses back across the Rio Grande and at the end of that 2 hours open fire above their heads and announce they have 30 minutes to get across or will be fired upon. I grantee they will get back into M and become their problem.exico
Put the National Guard troops on the border already! If our troops can secure the Korean, Syrian, Iraqi and Afghanistan borders, how come they can’t be used to secure our own!?!?
Killer Joe has just announced another free billion covid shots for the world to administer. Can you imagine the kick back he and his cronies are getting from the drug companies.
What floats on the D.C. swamp, Democratic scum. And for those drinking swamp water remember that it can contain gator pee.
Some seem to be drinking Rio water with alien pee.
Build that wall !!
I have lived in Texas…all my life… the people that are sympathetic to this situation on the Border have never really struggled..and I mean…really struggle…Our government is harder on its citizens… than illegals…I know from my own experience…You have to know how to fraudulent our welfare system..so the illegals coming over here…will become our new welfare country…purposely…The people that are voted in office have let Americans down…put your fairh in God…not people…
Control of Southern border is the responsibility of Fed Govt & should not fall on shoulders of any one state. And the National Guard is an emergency backup for this country & should not be used for any long term job such as border. Seems like very little pressure on Biden/Harris to fix this problem , plus they seem to ignore that a problem exists.
God Bless Gov. Abbott!!!! Everyone should write their Senators and Representatives and DEMAND that Biden resign immediately or they should begin IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS!!! How bad must it get and how many oaths of office does Biden have to break before he is extricated from the Presidency???? BE ACTIVE PEOPLE!!! Write your Congressmen…..NOW…and demand action!!!
The State of Texas shares a Southern border with Mexico and its state population is generally quite accustomed to sharing border crossing with most legal Mexican citizens, especially those that have family and personal ties with citizens on the Texas side of the border. However, Mexico is still not adequately cooperative in keeping non-Mexican citizens from crossing the border. And I think it is time for Mexico to start cooperating more (and it is easier for them to do) in keeping non-Mexican citizens from gathering at the southern Texas border and forcing controversy. Its time for the US government to sit down with Mexican government officials and determine how to STOP this “looking the ohter way” incursion into the US across the common border. I will not waste the time to point out all the reasons that illegal crossings at the border are a danger and a threat to the USA, but they do indeed pose as a realistic threat which needs to be resolved by the US government hopefully with the true cooperation with the Mexican government. It’s long past time for this problem to be FIXED!
Good for Abbott, but too little, too late. The governors of border states should have already had the national guard on the border months ago when it was apparent that the Biden administration was not going to do a damn thing about securing the border. Wake up & realize that this current administration is not on the side of the American citizens & will do everything in their power to retain power. Illegal & the constitution means nothing to them.
Thankfully we have a State,Governor and Legislature doing their jobs keep America’s southern border safe from illegal and criminal activity!!
The democrat clown show,with the communist progressive morons leading the way don’t have a clue!!!
I have tried writing or contacting peters and stabenow from Michigan, both are USELESS lemmings following their failed parties descent into obscurity!
democrats are pathetic,weak politics first losers!
Obviously The Democrats / Liberal Thugs… really aren’t concerned. The only way that this can be addressed and possibly solved is the wall. It was the best choice in the beginning and it has to be put up wherever it is needed across the Southern border all the way to the Pacific. Even if Texas and New Mexico and Arizona have to foot the cost of the Project. One of the greatest concerns must be the movement of foreigners from hostile Countries who are in place to infiltrate America and do harm as they have in the past. My position is, !!! whatever it takes. Do it, and do it NOW!
Why not send the National Guard with their tanks to help patrol the Tx border!
We the people need to stand behind and support the Governors willing to stop this BS..
Glad that the states are assuming responsibility to help build a wall, and block the foreign invasion. It is obvious, that the Biden Administration hasn’t taken any leadership in this. States need to do it for their own survival.
I applaud the State of Texas for standing their ground. It’s disgusting a state has to do the work of the federal government but they have to protect their people. What a useless administration we have.
Go Texas!
They better fill the gap, Texas should take all steps necessary to end this mass migration now. God bless them, not the federal government. Hope DC gets struck by lightning!
Remember the Alamo! All Haitians should be resettled in Delaware!
Thank God for Texas!!!!!!!
I would like to help Texas out. Is there a way that I can donate to help build that fence? It would help us all
Excellent news! Thank you and God Bless Texas!!!
With the State of Texas stepping up to secure the border, something Biden should be doing, I think all the other states should chip in to help pay for it.
God bless Texas!????????????????????????????????
Fantastic State. Proud of Texas! Wish I didn’t live in a un-American state like md.
FANTASTIC!!!
Kudos for making this happen!!!
May GOD BLESS this!!!
It’s the right thing to do!!!
This PA resident supports your choice!
God bless Texas!
God Bless Texas! ????????????????????????
As far as I’m concerned they should do whatever it takes to stop this INVASION!!!
This is all very well and good, but I think it’s just a matter of time before Obiden sends the DOJ after them.
I am one Texan who 100% supports what Governor Gregg Abbot and Texas are doing to stop the flood of illegal aliens.
Hooray Texas. I’m proud of y’all. Keep up the fight and God bless you and all your efforts. Hope other border states join the effort.
Better late than never. This should all have been for seen especially after the stolen election results. DHS is now a bad joke.