Texas is going beyond border security
When I first got to Austin, Republicans in the Texas Legislature were just beginning to realize the importance of ramping up border security efforts. Since taking office and serving on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, I have overseen a 16-fold increase in border security funding, from $800 million to over $13 billion. This includes apprehension and prosecution to fight back against the criminal elements the Biden Administration has failed to address.
In the most recent special session, we added $1.5 billion for border wall and barrier construction. This brings the total to more than $3 billion to construct more than 100 miles of border wall, concertina wire, buoys, and more to stop illegal crossings. These are major victories for Texas, but it is only a portion of the picture. Since 2017, I have fought to take Texas beyond border security.
One of the first major pieces of legislation I helped pass as your state representative was SB 4, which banned Sanctuary Cities for illegal immigrants in Texas and gave law enforcement more authority to detain individuals who have come into the country illegally. Since then, SB 4 has become a landmark example of Texas putting smart policy over the failed ideas that took hold in liberal states.
Today, we see the fallout from these sanctuary cities, including the New York mayor going on a Central American tour to tell migrants to stop coming to America. And now, the Biden Administration has finally admitted that more border wall is necessary.
This goes beyond border policy, however. It’s also about morality and protecting innocent victims from the heinous crimes that stem from the lawlessness that an open border welcomes. Operation Lone Star has seized tens of millions of dollars from the cartels, enough fentanyl to kill every American, and saved hundreds of individuals from human trafficking operations.
Here are some more solid policy victories I can point to that go beyond the empty soundbites that most political candidates offer. These are meaningful measures that are making a difference in the ongoing battle to make our communities safe and secure:
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♦ SB 4, in addition to banning sanctuary cities, it created a penalty for individuals violating the law and authorizes the attorney general to remove an individual from office for violating the Sanctuary City ban.
♦ HB 29 provided additional resources for victims of human trafficking, strengthened the process for prosecuting suspected traffickers, and reorganized the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force at the Office of the Attorney General.
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♦ SB 20 increased penalties for online human trafficking and increased resources to help victims.
♦ HB 2613 created a criminal penalty for operating a stash house and authorized law enforcement to seize assets connected to human trafficking operations.
♦ HB 1590 created the Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force to support law enforcement investigations and give guidelines to the attorney general’s office for rules about evidence in sexual assault cases.
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♦ SB 2188 authorizes the operation of local detention facilities for illegal immigrants.
♦ HB 624 increases penalties for individuals attacking law enforcement while performing their official duties, including our border officers.
♦ $56 billion in the 2021 budget for programs to combat human trafficking and provide resources to victims.
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♦ SB 423 authorizes the use of drones by law enforcement along the border.
♦ SB 602 expanded the authority of border agents to detain more individuals attempting to gain access at ports of entry.
♦ SB 1403 authorizes an interstate compact to allow other US states to provide personnel and resources to strengthen border security.
♦ SB 1484 expands training by DPS to include local law enforcement working along the border.
♦ SB 1900 designates cartels as terrorist organizations, increasing penalties connected to drug smuggling and operating human trafficking stash houses.
Beyond these specific border-related laws, I have fought for and passed other laws to increase penalties for drug trafficking, including steps to target dealers trafficking Fentanyl. With the increase in these dangerous drugs, I have also delivered resources to protect law enforcement when working on these drug interdiction cases.
I hope this provides a bigger picture for you to see the work being done to strengthen border security. Each session, I have re-committed myself to stepping up my efforts, and I will continue to back our law enforcement and provide resources on the border and across the state to keep Texans safe.
