Abbott calls on federal government to pay back Texas for border security efforts
AUSTIN (KXAN) — In a letter sent Monday to Texas county judges, Gov. Greg Abbott is reminding Texans about the state's efforts to try to secure the border.
In the letter, Abbott reiterated the initiatives he authorized from his July executive order, when he invoked the invasion clauses of the U.S. and Texas Constitution.
Abbott listed those actions in the letter.
- Deploy the National Guard to safeguard our border and to repel and turn back immigrants trying to cross the border illegally;
- Deploy the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to arrest and return to the border immigrants who crossed illegally and deploy DPS to arrest illegal immigrants for criminal activity;
- Build a border wall in multiple counties on the border;
- Deploy gun boats to secure the border;
- Designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations;
- Enter into a compact with other states to secure the border;
- Enter into agreements with foreign powers to enhance border security; and
- Provide resources for border counties to increase their efforts to respond to the border invasion.
Additionally, Abbott called on the federal government to reimburse the state for money spent at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Texas has devoted more than $4 billion of Texas taxpayer dollars toward these and other efforts to secure the border and enhance public safety," Abbott wrote in the letter. "Congress should reimburse the State of Texas for the billions of dollars we have had to spend on border security in the Biden Administration’s absence. Federal officials who will not faithfully execute the immigrations laws should face hearings and even impeachment."
In his letter, Abbott emphasized the need to push Congress, when lawmakers begin their next session in January, to reimburse Texas for the money spent on border security. Preliminary results from the midterm elections show Republicans are likely to gain control of the U.S. House.
"Texas has done more than its fair share for far too long. The time has come for the federal government to do its job," Abbott wrote.