DEL RIO, Texas — Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey called on peers to provide assistance in the ongoing migration crisis. The governors called on counterparts to provide law enforcement assistance to help with securing the border and arresting migrants making illegal crossings.
Governors Abbott and Ducey previously declared states of emergency in the border regions. Thursday’s letter calls on fellow governors to help protect the private property and personal safety of those who live along the Texas and Arizona borders with Mexico.
“When it comes to the Biden Administration’s open-border disaster, our greatest need is for additional law enforcement personnel and equipment,” the two border-state governors wrote. The governors said that under the emergency declaration and governors’ compact, these law enforcement officers will have the full legal authority to arrest migrants for illegally entering the United States.
“With your help, we can apprehend more of these perpetrators of state and federal crimes before they can cause problems in your state,” the two governors advised. “Texas and Arizona have stepped up to secure the border in the federal government’s absence, and now, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact gives your State a chance to stand strong with us.”
During a one-on-one interview with Breitbart Texas, Governor Abbott said he anticipates a “high level of participation.”
“I’ll tell you why,” the Texas governor explained. “The immigration issue and the border issue is not just the number one issue of Texas, it’s the number one issue in America. And so all of these other governors, they hear the same concerns that we hear about in Texas.”
During a border summit held on Thursday in Del Rio, Texas, Governor Abbott also announced the creation of the Governor’s Task Force on Border and Homeland Security.
Members of the task force will include the:
- Office of the Governor
- Office of the Attorney General of Texas
- Texas Department of Public Safety
- Texas Division of Emergency Management
- Texas Military Department
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
- Texas Commission on Jail Standards
The reason why we are here (Del Rio) is because of the massive increase,” the governor told Breitbart. Border crossings used to be highly “concentrated in the Rio Grande Valley,” he explained. “Now, you know we’re upstream from the Rio Grande Valley in the Del Rio Sector and the Del Rio sector is suffering from some of the largest increases.”
The task force will begin their work by meeting with the Texas Border Sheriffs’ Coalition, county judges, mayors, property rights organizations, concerned citizens, and border-area prosecutors, Governor Abbott announced on Thursday. Those meetings began on Thursday afternoon in multiple breakout sessions during the summit.
The governor pledged the full resources of the State of Texas to stop the lawlessness along the southern border. He said they will use existing state laws along with the authority of the State of Emergency declaration made earlier this month to crack down on those illegally crossing the border can creating havoc along the way.
“What people have seen in videos across the country seems to be the Biden administration welcoming these people to the United States,” Abbott stated. “We won’t be sending that message.”
Instead, the governor said, “If you come to Texas, you’re subject to being arrested. You’re not going to have a pathway to roam the country. You’re going to have a pathway directly into a jail cell.”
Abbott said more details about the State’s plans to secure the Texas border will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
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