Governor Abbott announces additional measures to combat illegal immigration, criticizes Biden administration's border policies
In a press release issued on Sept. 22, 2023, Governor Greg Abbott strongly criticized President Biden's immigration policies, contending they have resulted in thousands of illegal crossings into Texas each day. Abbott said, "Texas communities like Eagle Pass and El Paso should not have to shoulder the unprecedented surge of illegal immigration caused by President Biden's reckless open border policies."
Responding to the influx, Governor Abbott announced the deployment of additional buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso to help relieve the strain on these border communities. "I have directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional buses to send these migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities and provide much-needed relief to our overrun border towns. Until President Biden upholds his constitutional duty to secure America's southern border, Texas will continue to deploy as many buses as needed," said Abbott.
Governor Abbott has been coordinating with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard as part of ongoing efforts to secure the state's southern border, stop drug trafficking, and curtail transnational criminal activity. This is all part of Operation Lone Star, a multi-agency effort that, according to the press release, has led to over 457,500 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 34,400 criminal arrests. Furthermore, Texas law enforcement has reportedly seized over 429 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
The press release disclosed that Texas has been transporting migrants to several cities in the United States that have declared themselves as sanctuaries. According to the release, since April 2022, over 11,900 migrants have been sent to Washington, D.C. New York City has received over 14,900 migrants since August of the same year. Chicago has welcomed over 8,700 migrants since August 2022, while Philadelphia has seen an influx of more than 3,000 migrants since November 2022. Additionally, over 1,600 migrants have been sent to Denver since May 2022, and Los Angeles has received over 610 migrants since June 2022.
The Governor argues that Operation Lone Star continues to fill the "dangerous gaps" created by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. "Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden's open border policies," the press release stated.
