(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared on Thursday an “invasion” of illegal aliens at the southern border, delivering a scathing rebuke to the Biden administration’s free-for-all immigration policies.
The declaration grants the Republican governor the authority to deploy the Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety and resources from local law enforcement agencies to address the escalating crisis.
“I officially declared an invasion at our border because of Biden’s policies,” Abbott said on Twitter, mincing no words in his criticism of Biden’s open borders. “We are building a border wall, razor wire and marine barriers. We are also repelling migrants.”
In a three-page letter, dated November 2022, addressed to Biden, Abbott accused Biden of neglecting the U.S. Constitution, particularly Article I, thus powering the government of Texas to “protect its own territory against invasion by the Mexican drug cartels.”
Abbott’s criticism of Biden did not stop there. “Texans are paying the price for your failure. Ranches are being ripped apart, and homes are vulnerable to intrusion,” the Texas governor added, before detailing how human traffickers and the contraband of illegal drugs are causing the deaths of U.S. citizens.
I officially declared an invasion at our border because of Biden’s policies.
We deployed the Texas National Guard, DPS & local law enforcement.
We are building a border wall, razor wire & marine barriers.
We are also repelling migrants.
More: https://t.co/dEivr1lL2n pic.twitter.com/hzCl6ouTVJ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 20, 2023
Abbott’s declaration comes amidst mounting criticism of the Biden administration’s open border policies, which have resulted in over 5.8 million illegal crossings at the southern border, with 1.6 million evading apprehensions. DHS data shows that border patrol encountered approximately 183,503 illegal aliens in July alone.
Criticism isn’t limited to Republicans alone. Even Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, a Democrat, issued an emergency declaration after more than 4,000 illegal aliens freely crossed the border in a mere 42 hours.
Speaking to Fox News, Salinas expressed his concerns, describing the crossings as chaotic. “It’s been a test the last couple days,” he told Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Thursday. “Very disappointing situation. We’re trying to do our best to maintain the peace, to maintain order. … Absolutely. I’ve been saying that for the last 2 years. Here in Eagle Pass, we feel abandoned.”
Earlier this week, Salinas defended his emergency declaration. “The emergency declaration grants us the ability to request financial resources to provide additional services caused by the influx of undocumented immigrants.”
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas on whether he would welcome a visit from Biden:
“Absolutely. I’ve been saying that for the last 2 years. Here in Eagle Pass, we feel abandoned.” pic.twitter.com/EpPNquP8fR
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 21, 2023
