Dear Patriot,
I hope this message finds you well. As the 88th Legislative Session of the Texas Legislature comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to update you on the state of border security in Texas and express our deep concerns.
It is evident there is still significant work to be done to secure the Texas border, given the Federal Government’s refusal to enforce immigration law. Such inaction has resulted in over 7 million illegal border crossings since this administration took office.
Regrettably, our Texas legislators failed to pass substantial border security measures during this session. One such measure, HB 20, the Texas Border Protection Unit Act, was killed on a dubious Point of Order brought forth by Democrats and sustained by Texas House Speaker, Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont). As a consequence, the only remaining border security measure is HB 7, authored by Rep. Ryan Guillen, which initially focused on border infrastructure but was amended to include the creation of a state-level Border Protection Unit (BPU) similar to the now-defunct HB 20.
However, the version of HB 7 that passed the Texas House was deeply flawed, rendering it less effective than the current status quo of continued non-enforcement of immigration law. For instance, it imposed restrictions on the BPU’s ability to deter illegal crossings, mandating written approval from border county commissioners courts, which are predominantly controlled by Democrats.
In contrast, the original HB 20, before its demise, included a comprehensive set of provisions that empowered the Texas BPU to secure the border. It included a legislative finding declaring Texas under invasion and imminent danger, provided the BPU with explicit statutory authority to repel and remove illegal aliens, made illegal entry a state felony, and granted the state of Texas Title 42-like authority to deter illegal immigration.
All of these critical provisions perished with HB 20, and only a few weak elements made it into HB 7. The latter was made as ineffective as Operation Lone Star, which has essentially become catch and release with a few extra steps.
Moreover, the Texas Legislature killed every other real border security measure that was introduced, including mandatory E-Verify (SB 1621 by Kolkhorst), a legislative finding of cartel invasion (SCR 23 by Kolkhorst), finishing the Texas Border Wall (SB 1481 by Creighton), ending in-state tuition for illegal aliens (HB 3280 by Leo-Wilson), and banning foreign land ownership of key strategic resources (SB 147 by Kolkhorst).
It is important to note there were additional bills authored that did not receive a hearing, which would have ended birthright citizenship, forced the federal government to foot the bill for illegal aliens in public schools, put a tax on all remittances to foreign nations, and, of course, ended in-state tuition for illegal aliens. In light of these concerning developments, we recently issued a press release condemning Speaker Phelan’s failures on border security, highlighting the failures and misplaced priorities of the Speaker. You can view the press release in its entirety HERE.
Given the failure of the Texas Legislature to pass substantial border security measures, it is imperative that Governor Greg Abbott calls a special session to force the legislature to take action. Without such intervention, our border will continue to erode, and we will be left with nothing more than a mere line in the sand.
Texans for Strong Borders remains committed to advocating for robust border security measures that protect the sovereignty of Texas and ensure the safety and well-being of its citizens. We will continue to press for immediate action to address this pressing issue.
Thank you for your support and dedication to a secure Texas border.
For Texas!
Chris Russo
President Texans for Strong Borders