AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF) – Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Monday that he sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting an emergency declaration for the State of Texas as a result of the escalating crisis at the Texas-Mexico border, specifically due to what he called “the dire situation in Val Verde County.”
Thousands of Haitian migrants arrived in Del Rio last week after making the trek from South America.
In the letter, the Governor said that the federal government’s “failure to enforce immigration laws and in particular, its failure to halt illegal crossings on a dam on federal property, which is the sole jurisdiction of the federal government,” is leading to substantial burdens on local and state resources, as well as federal resources.
“Border security is a federal responsibility; however, in response to the current situation, I have taken the appropriate action under state law by directing the execution of the state’s emergency management plan and by declaring a state of disaster on May 31, 2021, for multiple Texas counties across the state’s southern border,” reads the letter. “This surge poses life-threatening risks to residents of Val Verde County and is quickly overrunning law enforcement and health care and humanitarian resources which were never intended to be used in this capacity. Even the limited federal resources in the area are strained
by the large number of individuals illegally crossing into Texas. I have determined that the disaster caused from individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border is of such severity that supplementary federal assistance is necessary to lessen the threat of disaster, save lives, and protect property, public health, and safety.”
The Governor launched Operation Lone Star in early March to help secure the border and combat the smuggling of people and drugs in Texas. There are currently thousands of state personnel, including DPS troopers, agents, and rangers, and National Guard Soldiers who are engaged in the mission and working with local law enforcement. On Friday, the Governor signed HB 9 which appropriated $1.8 billion to Texas border security efforts.
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