AUSTIN, Texas — Elected officials in border adjacent Kinney County are pleading with Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) not to let up any in his aggressive efforts to stop illegal immigration.
Kinney County’s judge, sheriff, and county attorney sent a letter to Austin this week as a token of appreciation for the state’s unprecedented efforts over the past three years to quell the flow of illegal immigrant traffic at the Texas border.
But the three officials also implored Abbott not to take his foot off the gas pedal and urged him to call an emergency session of the state House and Senate to create a state version of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before the November election.
“This is our way of saying, ‘Hey, we really appreciate what you’re doing, but don’t slow down,’” John Paul Schuster, Kinney County judge, said in a phone call on Friday.
Schuster is worried the November presidential election will lead even more migrants than the record-breaking high number they have seen over the past three years to trek to the U.S. border in hopes of getting into the country before a possible change in White House administration.
“Words cannot adequately describe the conditions on the ground for those of us living in border communities and major cities where cartel-connected gun violence, break-ins, robberies, and violent sexual crimes continually increase,” wrote Schuster, Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe, and County Attorney Brent Smith in the letter on April 16. “We as Texans no longer feel safe in our own homes, driving on our streets, or walking in our parks.”
The local officials’ solution is calling a special legislative session to pass Republican state Rep. Ryan Guillen’s bill that he introduced last November.
The legislation would establish the Texas Homeland Security Division and the Border Security Advisory Council, taking some pressure off local police and sheriff’s departments, as well as county judges and prosecutors, who have been caught up in the border crisis for several years.
Since President Joe Biden took office, 55 Texas counties have declared an invasion and 60 counties have made disaster declarations.
Kinney County officials believe that only an immediate emergency session in Austin can address the problem because the state legislature is not slated to return to Austin until early 2025.
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In 2023, Abbott called five special sessions and pushed forward an abundance of border security-related bills and initiatives.
“We can’t afford to wait 10 more months,” Schuster said. “There’s a concern that August, September, October could be really overwhelming — not just the highways but foot traffic.”