FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Texans for Strong Borders Asks Governor Abbott to go further to Repel the Invasion at our Southern Border
Declaring an Invasion under Article I, Section 10 is vital to combating the lawlessness at the Texas-Mexico border while the Federal Government fails to act.
HOUSTON, TEXAS November 15, 2022 – Today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he is invoking Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 of the US constitution to “fully authorize Texas to take unprecedented measures to defend our state against an invasion.”
Under this framework, he proposes the following:
- Deploy the National Guard to safeguard our border & to repel & turn back immigrants trying to cross the border illegally;
- Deploy the Texas Department of Public Safety(DPS) to arrest & return to the border immigrants who crossed illegally & deploy DPS to arrest illegal immigrants for criminal activity;
- Build a border wall in multiple counties on the border;
- Deploy gun boats to secure the border;
- Designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations;
- Enter into a compact with other states to secure the border;
- Enter into agreements with foreign powers to enhance border security; &
- Provide resources for border counties to increase their efforts to respond to the border invasion.
Texans for Strong Borders and others concerned about the crisis at our southern border have long advocated for nearly all of these items, but we are extremely concerned about the language about “returning to the border immigrants who crossed illegally.” Unfortunately, this faulty enforcement mechanism fundamentally undermines any exercise of state power to repel the invasion at our southern border.
As Texans for Strong Borders PAC expressed in response to Governor Abbott’s July press release, DPS agents arresting and returning illegal aliens to the border is in effect Catch & Release with extra steps–these illegal aliens will be turned over to federal authorities at ports of entry who will process them and proceed to release them into the interior of the country. The powers afforded to Governor Abbott under Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 require no such reliance upon federal authorities who have repeatedly refused to enforce immigration law as written and actively undermined border security under the direction of the open borders radicals inhabiting the Biden Administration.
Texans for Strong Borders President Chris Russo issued the following statement:
“Governor Abbott’s announcement, like his order in July, declares an invasion but exercises none of the necessary powers to repel it. Under his plan, Texas DPS Agents will return apprehended illegal aliens to ports of entry where they will be processed by federal authorities and released into the interior of the country under the radical open borders policies of the Biden Administration. Until Governor Abbott is willing to use state resources to repel the invasion and return illegal aliens back across the border without relying on federal officials, this invasion will continue and Texans will continue to pay the price.”
Texans for Strong Borders exists to advance sane immigration policies in the best interest of citizens. Our organization provides policymakers with resources to make informed decisions and as a conduit for the grassroots to engage with elected officials. We believe in stopping illegal immigration and a legal immigration policy that serves the interests of Americans.
To learn more, visit us at StrongBorders.org or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @StrongBordersTX.
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