By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
Freedom lives in the Lone Star State!
It lived in the spirit of those who bravely defended the Alamo in 1836 and it lives today in the hearts of those who continue making our state the greatest in the Union: the mothers and fathers working to provide for their families, the first responders keeping us safe, the teachers educating our future generations, and the men and women of the Permian Basin tirelessly working in the energy industry to sustain the American Dream.
As your state representative I take seriously my role to serve not only as a voice for West Texans but also as a fierce defender of the liberty we cherish in Texas.
Since President Biden took office, his administration has embraced open-border policies, which has resulted in the crisis we are seeing along our southern border. The Biden Administration has repeatedly refused to do its job to secure the border. However, Texas has and will continue to step up to secure the border.
In 2021, I proudly fought at the Texas Capitol to dedicate nearly $3 billion to our state’s border security effort, called “Operation Lone Star.” Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) launched Operation Lone Star in March of 2021 to combat the surge in the smuggling of people and drugs into Texas as result of the Biden’s Administration’s inaction.
Since its launch, I have made several trips to our southern border to see Operation Lone Star’s progress with my own eyes.
To date, Operation Lone Star has resulted in more than 336,000 migrant apprehensions and led to the seizure of thousands of pounds of cocaine and meth, along with the seizure of 354 million lethal doses of fentanyl. Miles of border wall have been built under Operation Lone Star, and there are signed agreements to continue adding more as construction continues.
Just a few days ago Governor Greg Abbott appointed Mike Banks – a former Border Patrol agent with decades of experience in federal law enforcement and border security operations – to serve as the State of Texas’ first-ever Border Czar. Texas Border Czar Banks will report directly to the governor as a special advisor and will ensure border security strategies are fully executed in Texas in the absence of meaningful federal action. He will collaborate daily with the Texas Military Department, DPS, and other state agencies, local officials, and Texas landowners to carry out Operation Lone Star’s mission.
Texas is not the place for weak borders or illegal crossings and we will not stand idle, waiting for the Biden Administration to do its job. With the 2023 legislative session underway, I will continue fighting and advocating for Texas to do everything we can under the Constitution to secure the border.
My fight to defend Texas will not stop and those who wish to mess with our freedom will have to come and take it! As always, I am fiercely committed to representing the hard working people of the Permian Basin and I’m honored to serve as your voice in the Texas House.
God bless Texas!
