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Greg Abbott on Immigration

 

 


500 new state troopers plus Texas Rangers at the border

The first step in securing our border is enforcing the rule of law. The last lawsuit that I filed as Attorney General was a lawsuit to stop President Obama's lawless executive action. I'm happy to report that late last night a federal judge halted the President's executive action plan.

In Texas, we will not sit idly by while the President ignores the law and fails to secure the border. That's why I have a comprehensive border security plan, to more than double current spending on border security. It adds 500 new state troopers, more Texas Rangers who can focus on corruption, more funding for local law enforcement and more technology to stop transnational criminal activity that threatens every community in Texas.

But the reality is that DPS cannot recruit, train and deploy 500 new troopers overnight. It takes time to ramp up. That's why this morning, I ordered the Texas National Guard to remain deployed on the border until my security plan is implemented.

Source: State of the State address to 2015 Texas Legislature , Feb 17, 2015

Ordered no more Syrian refugee resettlement

Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday ordered Texas' refugee resettlement program not to accept any more Syrians. In a letter to Obama, the Republican also urged scrapping federal plans to accept more Syrian refugees into the country as a whole. He said the federal government can't perform "proper security checks" on Syrians.
Source: ABC News on Syrian Refugee Crisis , Nov 16, 2015

Enforce against sanctuary cities or more Texans will die

It is our burden to deal with the consequences of the federal government not securing the border. Texas can't change federal immigration laws. What Texas can do is to enforce existing law. There are consequences--deadly consequences--to not enforcing the law.

Juan Rios is a criminal alien who had been arrested in Texas multiple times and deported three times. Last September, he went on a crime spree across Texas, killing two people & kidnapping another. It's a tragedy repeated too often in Texas. It is time for Texas to take a stand.

Some law enforcement officials in Texas are openly refusing to enforce existing law. That is unacceptable. Elected officials don't get to pick and choose which laws they obey. To protect Texans from deadly danger, we must insist that laws be followed. This is the session we will ban sanctuary cities. I'm declaring this an emergency item.

Source: 2017 State of the State address to Texas Legislature , Jan 31, 2017

Require local cooperation enforcing immigration laws

Gov. Greg Abbott signed a sweeping ban on "sanctuary cities" into law on Sunday, giving police officers new authority to question a detained person's immigration status and blocking local entities from passing laws that would prohibit these questions from officers. "The reason why so many people come to America is because we are the nation of laws," he said, seconds after dotting his signature on Senate Bill 4 on Facebook Live. "Texas is doing its part to keep it that way."

Excerpt from Sen. Sylvia Garcia statement: "I am afraid that this legislation will lead to harassment and profiling of Latinos. The last thing I want is 'walking while brown' to become reasonable suspicion. And, frankly, it doesn't matter how much this legislation's supporters promise that this will not happen. It will happen."

Legislative outcome: Passed Senate 20-11-0 on May/3/17; passed House 94-53-1 on Apr/27/17; signed by Governor Greg Abbott May/7/17.

Source: Houston Chronicle on Texas legislative voting record SB4 , May 7, 2017

Texas must fortify its efforts to secure our border

Public safety also extends to our border. Because of the federal government's open border policies, Texas must fortify its efforts to secure our border. We already have planes in the air, boots on the ground, boats on the water, and cruisers on the roads. We must expand our efforts to crack down on human trafficking and drug smuggling in Texas.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Texas legislature , Feb 2, 2021

Signed the toughest border security law of any state

Signed legislation requiring state agencies to participate in E-Verify to ensure state money goes only to those eligible to work in the United States. Greg Abbott knows that for you to be truly free--for you to succeed at work, or at school, or as a parent--you need to feel secure. To fight the drug cartels and human traffickers from importing crime into Texas, Greg Abbott signed the toughest border security law of any state.
Source: 2021 TX Gubernatorial campaign website GregAbbott.com , Oct 1, 2021

Biden Administration in dereliction of duty on border

Q: Why didn't you build a wall or a fence to stop the wave of asylum seekers?

MAYORKAS: It is the policy of this administration. We do not agree with the building of the wall. The law provides that individuals can make a claim for humanitarian relief. That is actually one of our proudest traditions.

ABBOTT: Listen, Secretary Mayorkas and even, I can be candid, even President Biden, are in dereliction of duty. The United States Constitution itself requires that the president and that the federal government secure the sovereignty of the United States of America, and the Biden administration has abandoned any pretense of securing the sovereignty of either Texas or the United States.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2021 joint interview Mayorkas & Abbott , Sep 26, 2021

Hire Border Patrol agents who are fired by feds

The last thing I will tell you is what the president said, going after the Border Patrol, who were risking their lives and working so hard to try to secure the border, if he takes any action against them whatsoever, I have worked side-by-side with those Border Patrol agents. I want them to know something. If they are at risk of losing their job [by] a president who is abandoning his duty to secure the border, you have a job in the state of Texas. I will hire you to help Texas secure our border.
Source: Fox News Sunday 2021 joint interview Mayorkas & Abbott , Sep 26, 2021

Border unsecured, there's onrush of illegal immigration

ABBOTT: When you have an administration that has abandoned any pretense of securing the border and securing our sovereignty, you see the onrush of people like what we saw walking across this dam that is right behind me.

MAYORKAS: This is nothing new. We've seen this type of irregular migration many, many times throughout the years. I don't know if Governor Abbott said the same thing in 2019 when there were more than a million people encountered at the southern border.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2021 joint interview Mayorkas & Abbott , Sep 26, 2021

$4 billion and 1000s of troops for border security

Gov. Greg Abbott touted the $4 billion the state has allocated toward border security, including funding to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and Department of Public Safety troopers to the southern border to apprehend the large number of migrants crossing into the state. But he noted that the state shouldn't be paying any money because the federal government should be stepping up to secure the border. "What we're doing is making sure that we are keeping our community safe, and this is completely different than the way things would be under Beto because he said months ago, 'There is no problem on the border.' He said that he would reduce immigration enforcement," Abbott said.

Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke immediately went on the attack, saying Abbott was trying to deflect the blame on immigration as he would on other issues. He noted that Abbott's expensive border mission has not had the impact of deterring border crossings.

Source: Texas Tribune on 2022 Texas Gubernatorial race , Sep 30, 2022

Texas is the only state in US to build its own border wall

Texans are furious about the lawlessness caused by Biden's open border policies. During the prior administration, we had the lowest illegal crossings in decades, but this past year, the United States set a record for the most illegal crossings ever. I designated Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. I bussed migrants to sanctuary cities in other states, and Texas is the only state in the history of America to build its own border wall.

The House and Senate are proposing another $4.6 billion to strengthen our border security efforts. But know this: Illegal smuggling is being aided and abetted by U.S. residents. That must stop. We must impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least 10 years for anyone caught smuggling illegal immigrants in Texas.

Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Texas legislature , Feb 16, 2023

Other governors on Immigration: Greg Abbott on other issues:
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Page last updated: Apr 29, 2023; copyright 1999-2022 Jesse Gordon and OnTheIssues.org