Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott slammed President Joe Biden’s “lackluster leadership” on Monday, promising to maintain a “law-and-order state” when it comes to protecting residents and the border.
“Texans demand and deserve an aggressive, comprehensive strategy to secure our border—not President Biden’s lackluster leadership,” Abbott said during remarks at the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition Spring Meetings in El Paso.
“As the federal government continues to roll back commonsense policies that once kept our communities safe, our local law enforcement has stepped up to protect Texans from dangerous criminals, deadly drugs, and illegal contraband flooding into the Lone Star State. Texas will always be a law-and-order state, and I thank our law enforcement officers who have answered the call to protect and serve their fellow Texans in the federal government’s absence in securing our border,” he added.
Great to speak with the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition in El Paso today.
Texas will always be a law & order state.
I thank our law enforcement officers who have answered the call to protect & serve their fellow Texans in the federal government's absence in securing our border. pic.twitter.com/V6G5bFb6UF
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 11, 2022
Abbott’s statement noted a number of recent actions taken to increase border security. Some of the achievements include “Signing laws that provide $3 billion in funding for Texas’ border security efforts” and “Launching Operation Lone Star and deploying thousands of National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.”
The governor also approved “Arresting and jailing illegal migrants trespassing or committing other state crimes in Texas.” Abbott has additionally “Allocated resources that include recently acquired 1,700 steel panels to building the border wall in Texas.”
The news follows a press conference on Wednesday during which Abbott announced several new actions his administration is taking to expand Operation Lone Star.
The governor announced the new actions in response to the Biden administration’s plans to lift Title 42, a Trump-era border policy that allows migrants to be turned away at the border to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The policy is set to expire in May as fears rise about the numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. The Daily Wire previously reported:
“With the Biden administration ending Title 42 expulsions in May, Texas will be taking its own unprecedented actions this month to do what no state in America has ever done in the history of this country to better secure our state, as well as our nation,” Abbott said.
One of the additional actions being taken, Abbott said, will be charter buses hired by the state to transport illegal immigrants to Washington, D.C.
“To help local officials whose communities are being overwhelmed with hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration, Texas is providing charter buses to send these illegal immigrants who have been dropped off by the Biden administration to Washington, D.C.,” Abbott announced. “We are sending them to the United States capital where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border.”