By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
President Biden’s blatant disregard for existing immigration laws and his abdication of responsibility have paved the way for a full-blown crisis of epic proportions that has plunged our border communities into chaos.
This administration’s recklessness and egregious dereliction of duty has emboldened cartels and human traffickers to exploit our southern border to smuggle drugs, weapons, and human beings into our communities.
It is imperative that we hold the Biden administration accountable for its abject failure to uphold its constitutional obligations and demand immediate action to fortify our borders and safeguard our sovereignty. We cannot afford to stand idly by as our communities are overrun by criminal elements and lawlessness.
Texas has continuously stepped in to fill the void and secure the border. In fact, last year the Texas Legislature took massive strides to strengthen our border laws and infrastructure. As your state representative, I was proud to support legislation to allocate $6.6 billion for border security measures, continue construction of physical barriers and walls, criminalize illegal entry and re-entry into Texas, and empower our courts to order deportation to country of origin.
But make no mistake: the fight is far from over. In the face of continued federal inaction, Governor Greg Abbott has marshaled our state’s precious resources to defend our sovereignty and protect all the people of Texas. By invoking our state’s constitutional authority to self-defense, he has mobilized the Texas National Guard and the Department of Public Safety to restore law and order along our border.
Now, amidst legal battles and potential punitive actions by the Biden administration, Texas remains resolute. We will continue to pursue every avenue available to us, including legal recourse, to ensure that our borders are secure and our state remains safe. I’m glad to see that last weekend, governors from more than a dozen other states joined Gov. Abbott in Eagle Pass to show their support for our righteous cause.
But this is not just politics; it is a matter of national security and the fundamental principles upon which our nation was founded. The tidal wave of illegal immigration sweeping across our southern border is evidence of a broken system.
The numbers speak for themselves: more than 6 million illegal immigrants are estimated to have flooded into the United States through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California in just three years. That’s a number that surpasses the entire population of many states. This unchecked influx overwhelms our resources, strains our infrastructure, and empowers the notorious cartels that profit from human trafficking and drug smuggling.
I will continue to fight alongside Governor Abbott on border security: our state will not falter in the face of this crisis and we will continue sending a resounding message to the White House that enough is enough.
God bless Texas!
