At a press conference, Abbott that in the first four months of 2021, the Texas Department of Public Safety seized 95 pounds of fentanyl. That鈥檚 more than in all of 2020, when it seized 11 pounds.
He blamed Mexican drug cartels for the problem. , an international research organization, although most fentanyl is produced in China, Mexican producers鈥� share in the market has grown.
Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw said fentanyl used to pass through Texas to other parts of the country.
鈥淣ow we鈥檙e a retail market for it, and that concerns us greatly,鈥� he said.
In Fort Worth and the surrounding area, law enforcement officials say they鈥檝e seen an increase in fentanyl-related overdoses.
Border Patrol can鈥檛 stop smugglers, Abbott said, because of .
"Border Patrol officers get fully occupied simply processing the people coming across the border," he said.
Abbott blamed what he called President Biden鈥檚 open border policy.
But Bill Holston, executive director of the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, said the border is not really open at all. Border Patrol .
Holston said it's unfair to link people fleeing catastrophes in their home countries to a drug smuggling problem.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just the height of cynicism to blame innocent children who are coming here because they鈥檙e fleeing either climate change problems, such as major hurricanes and disasters, or unrelenting gang violence, or women that are escaping epic amounts of femicide and domestic violence in these countries,鈥� he said.
Holston said conflating the migration issue and the drug smuggling issue 鈥減resents a false choice.鈥�
鈥淲e should do both. We should have enough law enforcement to interdict illegal drugs coming into the country, and also provide safe refuge,鈥� he said.
Jonathan Ryan, CEO and president of the immigrant rights organization RAICES Texas, told 四虎影院 in a statement that Abbott's press conference was a political move to appeal to former president Trump's supporters.
"The comments made by Governor Greg Abbott today were egregious," Ryan said. "The press conference in Fort Worth was not about fentanyl, but instead, was another opportunity to demonize migrant children and the immigrant population in Texas."
At the press conference, Abbott also announced he would sign a measure .
Got a tip? Email Miranda Suarez at msuarez@kera.org. You can follow Miranda on Twitter .
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