Texas has faced historic attacks on its sovereignty over the past three years, but the steps it has taken to protect its borders are yielding tangible results.
No state is more affected by the ongoing crisis at the southern border than Texas, where thousands of illegal immigrants have routinely crossed the border every day since the Biden administration took office.situation Spent For the past three years, requests for help from the federal government have been largely ignored. So the Lone Star State took matters into its own hands, and while the results are far from perfect, the state’s policies are clearly having a positive impact.
Texas recently passed a law cracking down on illegal immigration, allowing state authorities to arrest people in the country illegally. While the law is currently on hold, Waiting for review The court was able to successfully reshape the terms of the immigration debate and encourage other states to take similar action to protect themselves.A nearly identical bill was passed idaho and oklahomaAnd no doubt more states will eventually follow suit.
Despite efforts by the federal government to weaken security at the southern border; Construction canceled border wall, texas state capitol approved Funding to build your own. The state has installed razor wire at its border to repel the ongoing invasion, and the Biden administration has launched legal action to have the wire removed.The administration received Despite a favorable Supreme Court ruling on the issue, Texas stood its ground and the wire remained in place. The sum of all these actions has significantly reduced illegal crossings in the Texas area.
In February, illegal crossings in Eagle Pass, Texas, the city most besieged by the crisis, were down 76% compared to December 2023. reached Arrests of illegal aliens in the Rio Grande Valley have decreased by 60 percent; reached It was the lowest value since 2020.As the Texas Tribune report: “Texas’ five Border Patrol divisions have historically recorded more encounters with migrants than four divisions in other states along the U.S.-Mexico border. Every month so far in 2024, we’re seeing more encounters in areas outside of Texas. ”
Indeed, while the illegal immigration crisis continues to wreak havoc across the United States, data shows that Texas’ policies are forcing many illegal aliens to move west. While railroad crossings are decreasing in some parts of Texas, they are rapidly increasing in other areas. In early 2024, Tucson, Arizona became a destination for illegal aliens entering the United States, with more than 250,000 people arrested. reported during First four months of fiscal year 2024. In April, San Diego had more illegal immigration than any other sector in the country. according to border guard. The reason more and more illegal aliens are choosing to enter the country through California and Arizona is simple. While Texas has taken concrete steps to strengthen border security, California and Arizona have not.
That doesn’t mean all is well in Texas. The state remains under great strain from the border crisis, but their actions have helped ease the pain, if only a little. The Lone Star State demonstrates what people on all sides of the immigration debate know to be true. The only way to reduce the influx of illegal immigrants is to strengthen security measures at our borders and take legal action against illegal immigrants.
Although it is a core responsibility of the federal government, constitution And that law When the federal government abdicates its responsibility to secure its borders, as it has done for the past three years, states can resort to protecting their citizens. While it is clearly unfair that Texas was forced to take these steps to protect itself, it creates a clear blueprint for other states under siege to follow. While a patchwork of state laws cannot fill the void left by an neglected federal government, Texas has made sure that the state has both the duty and the authority to act to protect its citizens from the effects of illegal immigration. certified.
The crisis at the southern border represents the greatest threat to the sovereignty and security of the American people in modern American history. If the rest of the country is looking for a way out of the crisis, it should follow Texas’ lead.
William J. Davis Immigration Reform Law Instituteis a public interest law firm working to protect the rights and interests of Americans from the negative effects of mass immigration.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.
