This past Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) officially announced that he has taken the necessary steps to invoke the Invasion Clauses of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions as a means to try and deal with the immigration crisis sparked by President Joe Biden (D) at the nation’s southern border.
This particular announcement comes to light in the wake of a release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) highlighting a new data set showing that for the Fiscal Year 2022, which rounded out this past September, there had been almost 2.4 million illegal immigrants stopped along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I invoked the Invasion Clauses of the U.S. & Texas Constitutions to fully authorize Texas to take unprecedented measures to defend our state against an invasion,” stated Abbott. “I’m using that constitutional authority, & other authorization & Executive Orders to keep our state & country safe.”
Abbott highlighted the following steps that the state of Texas would be making sure to utilize to deal with the problem:
- Enter into a compact with other states to secure the border;
- Enter into agreements with foreign powers to enhance border security;
- Provide resources for border counties to increase their efforts to respond to the “border invasion.”
- Deploy the National Guard to safeguard the border, and to repel and turn back immigrants trying to cross the border illegally;
- Deploy the Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) to arrest and return immigrants to the border who crossed illegally, and to arrest illegal immigrants for criminal activity;
- Build a wall in multiple counties on the border;
- Deploy gun boats;
- Designate Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations;
I invoked the Invasion Clauses of the U.S. & Texas Constitutions to fully authorize Texas to take unprecedented measures to defend our state against an invasion.
I'm using that constitutional authority, & other authorization & Executive Orders to keep our state & country safe: pic.twitter.com/2Jt5HEMgp5
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 15, 2022
This release from Abbott takes place in the wake of his landslide win over Democrat Robert Francis O’Rourke, most well known as “Beto,” in the midterm this past week by a massive 11 points.
“I ran this campaign for the Texans who want safer streets,” stated Abbott in the wake of his victory. “For the homeowners burdened with skyrocketing property taxes. For the oil field workers who begged me to protect their livelihoods. For parents who want to choose the school that’s best for their child. For the ranchers and residents who pleaded for a secure border.”
“Texas must continue our unprecedented efforts to secure our border,” the Texan Governor went on. “Tonight Texans sending a resounding message that we want to keep Texas the beacon of opportunity that we have provided for the past eight years.”