Governor Abbott of Texas recently made in incredible announcement on Twitter via a video and caption, saying “Texas is building our own border wall” and including a video of a crane lifting sections of wall into place along what looks like the Texas-Mexico border.
Watch that video here:
Texas is building our own border wall. pic.twitter.com/Ff72b2ZwJQ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 6, 2023
That came alongside another tweet in which Gov. Abbott showed members of the Texas National Guard hard at work defending the border from illegal immigrants:
The Texas National Guard works day and night to detect and stop criminal activity at our border. pic.twitter.com/W1GH3FSyxA
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 5, 2023
Those tweets come shortly after Gov. Abbott announced the appointment of Texas’ first ever border czar, saying:
“For nearly two years, the State of Texas has taken unprecedented, historic action under Operation Lone Star in response to the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border.
“To continue doing what no other state in the history of our country has done to secure the border, I hired Mike Banks as the State of Texas’ first-ever Border Czar. As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas’ fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation. I have no doubt that Mike’s strong record of leadership and wealth of experience will provide Texans—and Americans—the level of border security expertise they deserve from a proper Border Czar.”
Border Czar Banks, speaking about what he plans to do after being chosen by Governor Abbott for the important position, said:
“I am humbled to be selected by Governor Abbott for this opportunity. Protecting our nation’s border is something I have dedicated the last 23 years of my life to, and I am very passionate about it. I look forward to strengthening our relationships with law enforcement partners and the community, leveraging all that we can to further protect our great state of Texas and the United States.”
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw, speaking on the border issue, said:
“No Governor has dedicated more time, energy, and effort in terms of public safety, homeland security, and border security than Governor Abbott. I welcome Mike Banks to the Texas team as we continue working to secure the border.”
Major General Suelzer of the Texas National Guard also chimed in, saying:
“I applaud Governor Abbott for selecting Mike Banks as Texas’ Border Czar. The Texas National Guard and I look forward to working with Mike in our mission to protect Texans as we secure the border.”
The Texas Border Wall is being funded by private donations and can be donated to here. It’s sad that it requires donations to a state do something the federal government should have done with tax dollars long ago, but at least it’s finally happening.
Governor Abbott’s office also highlighted the actions he has taken to defend the Texas border from illegal immigrants, saying:
Governor Abbott has taken unprecedented action to secure the border in the wake of the federal government’s inaction, including:
- Securing $4 billion in funding for Texas’ border security efforts
- Launching Operation Lone Star and deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers
- Taking aggressive action to aid border communities, including busing thousands of migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia
- Designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations to keep Texans safe amid the growing national fentanyl crisis
- Arresting and jailing criminals trespassing or committing other state crimes along the southern border
- Issuing an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return illegal immigrants to the border at ports of entry
- Allocating resources to acquire 1,700 unused steel panels to build the border wall in Texas
- Signing a law to make it easier to prosecute smugglers bringing people into Texas
- Signing 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking in Texas
- Signing a law enhancing penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl
- Issuing a disaster declaration for the border crisis
- Issuing an executive order preventing non-governmental entities from transporting illegal immigrants
- Signing memoranda of understanding between the State of Texas and the States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to enhance border security measures in their states that will prevent illegal immigration from Mexico to Texas
- Activating the Joint Border Security Operations Center (JBSOC) and directing the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Military Department, and Texas Division of Emergency Management to coordinate Texas’ response to secure the border
By: Will Tanner. Follow me on Twitter @Will_Tanner_1
"*" indicates required fields