Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is using the state’s southern border as an expensive campaign prop, spending billions of tax dollars on harebrained policies that callously use migrants as political pawns and threaten to worsen inflation by snarling the flow of commerce into the US
Abbott says his policies, which include sending busloads of migrants and asylum seekers to Washington, are necessary because the Biden administration isn’t stopping drugs, guns and unauthorized immigrants from entering the country. Until late Friday, Abbott’s new policies also included conducting safety inspections of commercial trucks from Mexico, though the federal government already inspects trucks coming into the US But amid a torrent of criticism from the Texas business community and even some in his own party, Abbott announced he was ending the inspections.
Border security and enforcement are federal responsibilities, and Abbott is only making things worse.
Even some Republican leaders who are supportive of hardline border security measures can see — as all Texans should — what’s really going on: Abbott is playing with people’s lives for political gain.
“It’s a gimmick,” Republican Rep. Matt Schaefer of Tyler tweeted about the busing of migrants.
Before Abbott announced he was backpedaling from the truck inspections, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called the policy “political theater” and “catastrophic” and said it would worsen supply-chain problems, deplete grocery store shelves and potentially drive up costs for food and goods. The secondary inspections backed up trucks for thousands at some border checkpoints last week, forcing truckers to sit in their rigs for hours without access to food or restrooms.
Border security issues demand solutions, not stunts
Abbott, who is seeking reelection in November against Democrat Beto O’Rourke, is clearly aware that many Texans, particularly Republicans, consider immigration and border security the state’s most pressing issues. It’s true that longstanding problems at the border spanning Republican and Democratic administrations need urgent attention. But Abbott’s new border policies are ill-conceived, reckless and unnecessary. Worse, they aren’t solving anything, only creating new problems at an astronomical cost of billions in taxpayers’ money under the umbrella of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border initiative. As of Friday, the governor still hadn’t said if the inspections had intercepted any illegal drugs or unauthorized immigrants.
Moreover, Abbott’s accusations that the Biden administration is dropping the ball at the border are off-base. Seizures of deadly fentanyl at the southern border are at record highs, and 1 million migrants were expelled last year under Biden’s continued use of a COVID-era health policy implemented by former President Donald Trump.
Abbott’s busing and inspection policies add to the cost of billions the state is already spending for border policing. Two weeks ago, Texas Military Department leaders told Abbott they’ll need another half-billion dollars to continue Operation Lone Star, the governor’s murky border initiative that has deployed Texas state troopers, the National Guard and other resources to the border this year.
Legislature should rein in Abbott’s border spending
State lawmakers should refuse to appropriate any more money for Operation Lone Star and demand that Abbott scale it back dramatically, or end it. Abbott insists the program is working, but the data his administration has released so far is not convincing. If the governor wants to spend wildly on political stunts, he should use his campaign funds, not tax dollars. Abbott reported $62 million in campaign cash in early January, more than 10 times the war chest of O’Rourke.
Abbott implemented his newest border policies after President Biden announced on April 1 that he will lift COVID-era restrictions on asylum seekers next month. Texas communities will be “overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants” as a result, Abbott said, and he vowed to bus and fly migrants to Washington, leaving the Biden administration to deal with them.
Abbott’s tough talk didn’t initially mention the bus rides are voluntary — essentially a free ride across the country for willing participants, courtesy of Texas taxpayers. The first busload of 24 migrants arrived — where else? — at Fox News headquarters in Washington on Wednesday. After disembarking, some riders thanked Texas for the lift.
Abbott has vowed to charter as many buses and airplanes as necessary. He still hasn’t said how much it will cost taxpayers, but it probably won’t be cheap.Under a federal court order, US Customs and Border Protection agents will resume returning most migrants to Mexico to wait out asylum hearings. So, why are Texas taxpayers paying to bus them to DC? Abbott hasn’t explained.
Abbott’s border inspections create chaos
Meanwhile, Abbott’s inspections of trucks already cleared by US customs agents created massive bottlenecks at the border. The logjam blocked $60 million to $70 million worth of produce, auto parts and other shipments that typically arrive in Texas over the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in a single day, the Texas Tribune reported.
Frustrated by the daylong delays, truckers on the Mexican side of the border shut down an international bridge in protest last Tuesday, blocking all traffic into El Paso. One trucker told the El Paso Times that truckers are paying the price for Abbott’s actions.
“The boss in El Paso has called me three times asking me where his goods are,” he said. “We have a lot to lose.”
Commercial traffic backups threatened to drive up prices for food, car parts and other goods at a time when Texans are already struggling with rising inflation.
Gov. Abbott, we agree that border security and illegal immigration pose monumental challenges for Texas, and we’ve long advocated for bipartisan solutions. But using beleaguered migrants as expensive pawns and creating massive traffic jams that hurt truckers and commerce at the risk of driving inflation even higher doesn’t solve anything.
If you insist on continuing such stunts, pay for them with your massive campaign account, not tax dollars. Texas doesn’t need political gimmickry and campaign theater. Texas needs a leader who works to solve our border and immigration problems.
www.statesman.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism