Category: Issues

Governor Greg Abbott today touted the many achievements from the 88th regular legislative session and highlighted his plan to complete unfinished business in subsequent special sessions during a fireside chat at the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) in Austin.Governor Greg Abbott today touted the many achievements from the 88th regular legislative session and highlighted his plan to complete unfinished business in subsequent special sessions during a fireside chat at the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) in Austin.

“In Texas, we don’t do things half-heartedly,” said Governor Abbott. “We go big, and we make sure we accomplish our big vision–that includes delivering the largest property tax cut in the history of our state and expanding education freedom for all Texans. Texans want to own their property, not rent it from the government. Under my property tax plan, we will put Texans on the pathway to eliminate property taxes. Texas must also empower every parent in our state to choose the best education pathway for their child, and we will do that under my plan to expand access to Education Savings Accounts. I look forward to working with my partners in the legislature during these special sessions to pass legislation that builds on the momentum of freedom and prosperity embedded in the promise of Texas.”

During a discussion moderated by TPPF CEO Greg Sindelar, the Governor touted several major achievements accomplished during the regular 88th Legislative Session, including providing more than $5.1 billion to secure the border, but emphasized that many critical items–like cutting property taxes and expanding school choice–still need to be passed. Governor Abbott noted that his property tax plan would direct $17.6 billion of Texas’ historic budget surplus already appropriated by the legislature to cut property tax rates, putting money back into the pockets of hardworking Texans. Pointing to the quality of education in states with robust school choice programs, the Governor also emphasized the importance of passing his plan to expand state-funded Education Savings Accounts to every Texas student.

In his 2023 State of the State address, Governor Abbott announced cutting property taxes and education freedom for Texans as emergency items for the 88th Legislature.

On Monday night, Governor Abbott called an immediate special session and identified cutting property taxes and cracking down on human smuggling as agenda items for special session #1. Earlier this week, over 30 leading statewide business associations shared their overwhelming support of Governor Abbott’s property tax cut plan.

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 376,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 28,000 criminal arrests, with more than 25,000 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 416 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.

Texas has also bused more than 9,400 migrants to our nation’s capital since April 2022, over 6,700 migrants to New York City since August 5, more than 1,900 migrants to Chicago since August 31, more than 1,000 migrants to Philadelphia since November 15, and 40 migrants to Denver on the first bus that departed this week (story, below).

Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden’s open border policies.

RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:

Governor Abbott Applauds Texas National Guard, DPS For Border Efforts

Governor Greg Abbott today thanked Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers for their selfless service at the southern border and provided an update on Texas’ response to the ongoing border crisis during a press conference in Brownsville. During the Governor’s visit to the Texas-Mexico border, he applauded the hardworking men and women of Operation Lone Star, serving as part of Texas’ unprecedented response to fill in the gaps created by President Biden’s reckless open border policies.

“I’m here in Brownsville today to thank the hardworking men women who are defending our border for their bravery and courage,” said Governor Abbott. “These men and women in uniform here today, they’re considered to be heroes by their fellow Americans. They should be proud of what they’ve done. I’m proud of what they’ve done.”

Read more about Governor Abbott’s visit to the border.

Governor Abbott Urges Nation’s Governors To Help Combat Border Crisis

Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday urged the nation’s Governors to help support Texas’ unprecedented border security efforts in the wake of President Joe Biden ending Title 42 last week and his continued refusal to enforce federal immigration laws. In letters sent to each of his fellow Governors, Governor Abbott requested support in responding to the ongoing border crisis through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which enables states to provide assistance and share resources with another state in response to a disaster or emergency.

“The flood of illegal border activity invited by the Biden Administration flows directly across the southern border into Texas communities, but this crisis does not stop in our state,” reads the letter. “Join us in the mission to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity and send all available law enforcement personnel and resources to the Texas-Mexico border to serve alongside our thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers.”

Read more about Governor Abbott’s letters to America’s Governors.

WATCH: Governor Abbott Highlights Texas’ Leadership Amid President Biden’s Border Crisis

Governor Abbott spoke with The Dana Show this week about the Biden Administration’s continued denial of the magnitude of the border crisis created by the President’s reckless open border policies. Following the Governor’s request of his fellow Governors to support Texas’ historic response, he emphasized how Operation Lone Star and the new Texas Tactical Border Force are successfully repelling illegal immigrants, with an increased presence at hotspots along the border, as well as miles of additional razor wire barriers.

“We have Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on the Texas side of that razor wire, making sure no one gets through,” said Governor Abbott. “The National Guard, as well as law enforcement in other states, have seen what Texas is doing to block and prevent people from crossing our border illegally. We’re getting requests–from Idaho and Florida already–from other states to lend their National Guard or their law enforcement officers, who believe our border should be secured and our sovereignty should be protected.”

Governor Abbott Announces First Bus Of Migrants Arrives In Denver

Governor Greg Abbott yesterday announced the arrival of the first group of migrants bused to Denver, Colorado from Texas. The migrants were dropped off near Civic Center Park at 14th Street and Court Place on Thursday afternoon.

“Texas’ overwhelmed and overrun border communities should not have to shoulder the flood of illegal immigration due to President Biden’s reckless open border policies, like his mass catch and release without court dates or any way to track them,” said Governor Abbott. “Until the President and his Administration step up and fulfill their constitutional duty to secure the border, the State of Texas will continue busing migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities like Denver to provide much-needed relief to our small border towns.”

Read more about the arrival of the first migrant bus in Denver.

WATCH: Governor Abbott Emphasizes Continued Need For Operation Lone Star

On Thursday, Governor Abbott joined Fox News to provide an update on Texas’ unprecedented border crisis response following President Biden ending Title 42 last week. Operation Lone Star is successfully repelling migrants attempting to cross the Texas-Mexico border illegally, as Mexican drug cartels attempt to recalibrate their criminal smuggling operations to continue profiting off the chaos created by President Biden’s open border policies.

“[Cartels] are holding tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people back, trying to figure out where and how to cross the border,” said Governor Abbott. “There’s only one governmental entity in the entire United States of America that is repelling people who are trying to enter illegally, and that’s the State of Texas.”

WATCH: DPS Lt. Olivarez Details Texas’ Effective Deterrence As Title 42 Ended

DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez this week discussed with Fox News how Texas’ heightened border security efforts in preparation for the end of Title 42 helped stop thousands of illegal border crossings. He points to the miles of additional razor wire, the border wall, increased manpower, and a unified show of force as being effective deterrents from the State of Texas in spite of the federal government’s inaction.

“Governor Abbott took a proactive approach and deployed additional state resources and the Texas National Guard and DPS troopers to place razor wire along the Rio Grande in Brownsville,” said Lt. Olivarez. “We took a more aggressive response in trying to block these crossings, and we prevented thousands who could have potentially made it across the border illegally. The federal government should take a page out of Governor Abbott’s border security playbook and use that to secure the border, because we saw how effective it was.”

WATCH: DPS Regional Director Discusses President Biden’s Handling Of Crisis

This week, DPS West Texas Regional Director Jose Sanchez discussed with Fox Business the lack of support by the federal government in addressing the ongoing border crisis. Because the Biden Administration has enabled record-levels of illegal immigration over the past two years, Texas has had to go to historic lengths and utilize all available state resources to respond to this ongoing crisis, especially leading up to President Biden ending Title 42 last Thursday.

“We didn’t know what to expect [with the end of Title 42], but thanks to Governor Abbott and DPS Director Steve McCraw for giving us the support we needed down here to help secure the border, today we actually woke up to a calm day,” said Director Sanchez. “We closed the holes with the amount of personnel we have along the border. We have proven throughout these past two years that when you have concertina wire, barriers, and a show of force on the border, it proves to be a deterrence.”

WATCH: Texas National Guard Utilizes All Strategies To Deter Illegal Crossings

Texas National Guard soldiers are using all available strategies to deter illegal immigrants from crossing the border into Texas. Soldiers helped install miles of additional razor wire along the border and continue to maintain a strong presence behind the barriers. Texas National Guard drone teams also play a critical role in detecting illegal immigrants attempting to hide.

“The drone teams make us extremely proficient,” said Staff Sgt. Samuel Garza. “The capabilities drone teams bring to the mission is that we can get eyes on from about a mile and a half out from us. We can coordinate our ground teams and work them in to have less resistance from [illegal immigrants] being captured.”

Texas National Guard Foot Patrols Help Deter Illegal Border Crossings In Laredo

Texas National Guard soldiers helped deter a group of illegal immigrants from entering Texas near Laredo this week. Soldiers responded to sensors alerting law enforcement partners of the group attempting to climb the riverbank into the thick brush along the Rio Grande River. Once the group of illegal immigrants saw the soldiers, they turned around and swam back to the Mexico side.

WATCH: Human Smuggler Leads DPS Troopers On High-Speed Vehicle Pursuit

A human smuggler led DPS troopers on a high-speed vehicle pursuit in Kinney County earlier this week. The smuggler was eventually stopped and arrested. He is an illegal immigrant from Honduras and will be charged with evading and smuggling of persons. Four illegal immigrants from Mexico were referred to Border Patrol.

WATCH: Operation Lone Star Showcases Reinforcements Prior To Title 42’s End

In the leadup to Title 42 ending last week, DPS troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers worked together to reinforce border barriers near Brownsville to deter migrants from crossing the border illegally into Texas.

DPS Trooper Stops Group Of 30 Chinese Nationals Attempting To Cross Border

A DPS trooper working operations in Roma encountered a group of Chinese nationals walking alongside the road this week. The group, which totaled 30 in all, was stopped and referred to Border Patrol.