Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order Thursday allowing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard to arrest and return illegal migrants to the border.
“While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border. The cartels have become emboldened and enriched by President Biden’s open border policies, smuggling in record numbers of people, weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl,” Abbott said in a statement. (RELATED: Migrant Who Survived Trailer Smuggling Incident Details What Happened Before Things Turned Deadly)
Former Trump administration officials Russ Vought and Ken Cuccinelli criticized Abbott’s latest move, saying it lacks “significant changes.”
“This is still catch and release,” Vought and Cuccinelli said in a joint statement.
BREAKING: Statement just released by @russvought and @KenCuccinelli on @GovAbbott‘s new border Executive Order.
No significant changes to current policy. This is still catch and release. pic.twitter.com/Ch4jID7Ljb
— Center for Renewing America (@amrenewctr) July 7, 2022
Abbott’s announcement follows several south Texas counties’ declaration of an “invasion” at the border, increasing the pressure on Abbott to follow their action with his own declaration.
Abbott cited Article 4 Section 4 of the Constitution, which states “‘[t]he United States . . . shall protect each [State in this Union] against Invasion,” but his office didn’t respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s inquiry on whether he will similarly declare an invasion.
Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor did Customs and Border Protection (CBP) respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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