Happy Good Friday!
Welcome to your weekly Texans for Strong Borders newsletter. Here’s everything you need to know about the fight to end illegal immigration into the state of Texas:
Texas House Passes Bi-Annual Legislative Budget
Last night, the Texas House of Representatives, composed of eighty-six Republicans and sixty-four Democrats, passed their bi-annual legislative budget for the state of Texas for the years of 2024 and 2025. It included billions of dollars in appropriations to public schools, roads, bridges, district hospitals, state and local law enforcement, etc.
Markedly, this budget awarded a record breaking amount of money to Border Security: $4.6 Billion.
Most of these dollars will undoubtedly be given directly to Operation Lone Star, Governor Greg Abbott’s flagship project which attempts to secure the border at the state level. Let the record show that not one illegal alien, under any state operation including Operation Lone Star, has been removed from the state of Texas.
Texans for Strong Borders stepped in preemptively and asked for the following amendments so we could see worthwhile action take place in the fight against illegal immigration:
- Finish President Trump’s Wall
- Appropriate the funds necessary to finish the Texas border wall and designate all excess monies to cover the cost of removing and repelling illegal aliens in Texas or from entering Texas.
- End Handouts to Illegal Aliens
- Ensure no funds from the budget have a chance to end up in the hands of illegal aliens by requiring all applicants for state funded programs, projects, resources, etc. apply through the S.A.V.E. program.
- Make English the Official Language of Texas
- Strike any appropriations that include the public posting of any language other than English or the promotion and cultivation of any language other than English.
- Tax Remittances to Foreign Nations
- Create a way in which money transmissions out of the United States from Texas can be taxed at a ten percent rate and use the funds created from this tax to buy down property and sales taxes.
None of these amendments were authored and Texas has still yet to remove one illegal alien from the state.
Florida Governor Continues to Push Winning Agenda to Fight Against Illegal Immigration
In March, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida announced a comprehensive legislative action plan which, short of declaring an invasion, would wipe out immigration from the state’s perspective.
DeSantis’ plan included tasking the Florida Legislature with the following:
- Revoking driver’s licenses given to illegals in other states or local municipalities
- Ending in-state tuition for illegal aliens in Florida institutions of higher education
- Mandating the use of E-Verify for ALL Florida businesses (public and private)
- Classifying the use of false identifying documents to criminally obtain employment as a felony
- Revoking the license of any business caught violating the law twice within 24 hours
- Classify ‘knowingly transporting, harboring, or concealing illegal aliens’ as a felony
While this list is expansive, it’s only half of what DeSantis is pushing in Florida this legislative session.
Recent polls showed that 82% of Texas Republicans support his efforts to mandate E-Verify and and 75% support the end of in-state tuition for illegal aliens. Both policy proposals sit in the top three of our legislative priorities at number two and number three.
Therefore we call on the Texas Legislature, Governor Abott, Lt. Governor Patrick, and Speaker of the House Dade Phelan to not only follow Governor Desantis’s efforts to pass such legislation in Florida but put Texas in the lead.
This falls under the Republican Party of Texas’ legislative priority, “Secure the Border & Protect Texans,” which have been foundational to the Republican platform for years.
The governorship and supermajorities within both houses have been held by Republicans in Texas for nearly three decades with nothing to show for it on the immigration front.
Luckily, strong bills have been authored to accomplish these reforms in Texas for the legislature to get behind. Call your State Representative and/or State Senator and tell them to put Texas in the lead by prioritizing and passing:
Mandate E-Verify – HB 3846 by State Rep. Steve Toth and SB 1621 by State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst
End In-State Tuition – HB 3280 by State Rep. Terri Leo-Wilson
Texans for Strong Borders Legislative Priorities Receive Overwhelming Support from Texas Republicans
Over the last few months a statistical analysis and polling group, CWS Research, has been polling the Texas electorate. Here’s what they had to say in regards to TFSB’s legislative priorities:
- 82% – Mandate E-Verify for all businesses
- 75% – End In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens in Texas Institutions of Higher Education
- 82% – End Handouts to Illegal Aliens
- 57%– End Birthright Citizenship
- 71% – Stop Funding the Free Public Education in Texas Public Schools
The support for each of these items shows us that Republican voters agree on the need to cut off magnets, however, little to no momentum has been collected and synergized towards the legislature to pressure them to act.
This needs to change this session. We must create a culture of proactivity to get our politicians to accomplish the promises they make to us, the people, during election season.
TFSB Sends Memo to Austin Lawmakers
Earlier this week, Texans for Strong Borders sent a memorandum to all legislators in the Texas House and Senate informing them on specific bills that have our full support as an organization. Those bills and their legislative priorities are as follows:
- Repel the Invasion
- HB 20 by Representative Matt Schaefer
- HB 4368 by Representative Richard Hayes
- HCR 78 by Representative Ben Bumgarner
- HCR 79 by Representative Mark Dorazio
- SCR 23 by Senator Lois Kolkhorst
- SCR 29 by Senator Brandon Creighton
- Mandate E-Verify
- HB 3846 by Representative Steve Toth
- SB 1621 by Senator Lois Kolkhorst
- End In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens
- HB 859 by Representative Bryan Slaton
- HB 3280 by Representative Terri Leo-Wilson
- HB 4736 by Representative Tony Tinderholt
- Finish President Donald Trump’s Wall
- HB 209 by Representative Bryan Slaton
- SB 1481 by Senator Brandon Creighton
- End Birthright Citizenship
- HB 3612 by Representative Steve Toth
- Tax Remittances to Foreign Nations
- HB 4743 by Representative Tony Tinderholt
- Protect Texas Public Schools
- HB 4668 by Representative Ben Bumgarner
- SB 923 by Senator Drew Springer
- Notable Supplementary Legislation
- HB 1491 by Representative Brian Harrison
- HB 1600 by Representative Cole Hefner
- HB 5000 by Representative Stan Kitzman
- SB 147 by Senator Lois Kolkhorst
Taxing Remittances puts Texas First!
In 2021, remittances from Texas to Mexico alone totaled $7.8 billion.
Read the following Opinion piece in Texas Scorecard by TFSB Chris Russo on how Texas can tax remittances to foreign nations to aid us in the fight against illegal immigration.
COMMENTARY: Keep Billions in our Economy, Not Corrupt Regimes: Tax Remittances to Foreign Nations
Have a great Easter weekend Patriot, and thank you for your continued support!