Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Saturday (March 6) launched an action plan that will deploy the resources of the state’s National Guard and other agencies to address the growing crisis along the southern border.
Abbott announced that his office has launched Operation Lone Star, which will deploy air, land, sea and tactical border security assets to prevent drug and human smuggling into Texas by Mexican criminal organizations. The operation is being launched in partnership with the state Department of Public Safety.
Texas is nicknamed “The Lone Star State.
“Texas supports legal immigration, but will not be an accomplice to open border policies that lead to a humanitarian crisis in Texas instead of stopping it, and endanger Texan lives.” Abbott said in a statement to the media Saturday.
“We will significantly increase the resources and law enforcement personnel needed to respond to this crisis.” He said.
Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the number of illegal immigrants apprehended by U.S. border agents spiked further in February, with the number of migrants detained approaching 100,000. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not yet officially released the February figures.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat from near the U.S.-Mexico border, warned March 4 that more than 10,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended crossing the border in just one Texas border region in about a week.
Since taking office, Biden has reversed several Trump-era border security measures that were designed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants at the southern border and improve U.S. public safety. The Biden Administration revoked the Migrant Protection Protocol (MPP), which kept illegal immigrants in Mexico, and also limited priorities for enforcement and deportation of illegal immigrants, while halting construction of the border wall. Biden also promised to legalize 11 million illegal immigrants. These measures have attracted large numbers of illegal immigrants to the United States, further exacerbating the crisis at the U.S. border.
“President Biden’s actions are encouraging more illegal immigration and attracting more Parents to bring their children to the United States, knowing they will soon be released within our country.” Rep. James Comer (R-Texas), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said. “President Biden should follow President Trump’s lead to contain the border crisis instead of resorting to a ‘catch and release’ policy.”
On Friday (March 5), more than two dozen federal House Republican lawmakers sent a letter to Biden calling for the restoration of the national emergency at the U.S. southern border.
Republican U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden, one of the letter’s signatories, told Fox News, “There is no question that we are in a Time of crisis at the border. President Biden got this (border crisis) started by rolling back numerous Trump-era immigration policies, which is why we urge him to immediately restore the national emergency at our borders.”
Former President Trump denounced that “our border is now completely out of control because of Joe Biden’s disastrous leadership.”
Trump added that the mass invasion of illegal immigrants into the United States is happening every hour and getting worse by the minute. “Many have criminal records, and many others carry the COVID virus and are spreading.” He was referring to COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the Chinese communist virus (coronavirus).
Earlier this month, large numbers of migrants seeking to cross the U.S.-Mexico border demonstrated in Mexico, calling on Biden to let them enter the United States.
Biden has yet to acknowledge the crisis or announce any concrete plans to address the growing number of illegal border crossings. When asked by reporters this week if there was a crisis at the border, Biden replied, “No, we’ll be able to handle it.”
Republicans have been sounding the alarm about the crisis for weeks and have called on the Biden administration to roll back its security policies and also its plan to provide a path to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) sent a letter to Biden on March 5 requesting a meeting with him to discuss the rise in unaccompanied illegal minors.
“We must acknowledge the border crisis, develop a plan and strongly oppose, in clear terms, individuals from Mexico and Central America embarking on the dangerous journey to our southern border.” McCarthy wrote.
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