Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday warned of a possible 鈥渃ataclysmic鈥� event on the state鈥檚 southern border this spring and reasserted that Texas鈥� Operation Lone Star is filling in the gaps on border security where the Biden administration has failed.
But during his speech to members of the Texas Border Sheriffs Coalition in El Paso, Abbott didn鈥檛 mention part of the operation that鈥檚 drawn the ire of business leaders and some local officials 鈥� increased inspections of commercial vehicles arriving from Mexico.
The increased vehicle inspections by Texas Department of Public Safety officers are part of Operation Lone Star鈥檚 expanded mission, which Abbott announced last week in response the Biden administration鈥檚 plan to lift a pandemic-era rule called Title 42. The rule quickly expels migrants before they can apply for asylum and was put in place in March of 2020. It is now scheduled to end in late May.
Abbott said the inspections were needed to stop the smuggling of people or drugs into the country as federal agents are unable to do that job.
In addition to the added inspections, state resources will also be used to transport migrants from the Texas border to Washington D.C. and elsewhere. Boat blockades on the Rio Grande and the installation of razor wire in low-water areas are also part of the expansion, Abbott said last week and again touted Monday.
鈥淲here we are today, however, is nothing compared to what we are going to be seeing in about a month from today,鈥� Abbott told the group. He cited that, according to high-end estimates from the Biden Administration鈥檚 Department of Homeland Security, some 18,000 migrants could cross daily once the rule is lifted.
鈥淚t's going to lead to extraordinary demands on health services, on community services, on the functionality of every single county, especially in the border region, but definitely across the state of Texas,鈥� Abbott said.
Vehicle inspections disrupting border-area commerce
Although Abbott conceded last week that increased inspections will add to wait times for vehicles entering Texas from Mexico, he didn鈥檛 mention it Monday. That鈥檚 despite a claim from the Mission-based Texas International Produce Association that the inspections have 鈥渨reaked havoc up and down our supply chain.鈥�
鈥淲arehouses have staff sitting idle, with no trucks to unload. Buyers in other parts of the country cannot understand why their product is not available,鈥� Dante Galeazzi, the association鈥檚 president, to Abbott last week. 鈥淯.S. trucking companies are losing money as they sit around for days with no loads to haul.
Mexico is the state鈥檚 largest trading partner and was No. 2 in the country behind Canada in 2021. The inland ports of Laredo and El Paso are the busiest in the country, with more than $243 and $85 billion in two-way trade passing through those sectors, respectively.
El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said after Abbott鈥檚 address to the sheriffs Monday that he鈥檚 already fielded calls from Mexican officials complaining about the slowdowns.
鈥淚鈥檝e gotten calls from Consul (Mauricio) Ibarra, from the (Juarez) mayor鈥檚 office. It backs up to them,鈥� he said. 鈥淓very time there is a decision made without calling the El Paso mayor, without calling myself, it doesn鈥檛 make sense.鈥�
Samaniego said the timing is especially critical as the state and local economies look to pull themselves out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got one of the strongest (trade) economies in El Paso because we know how to move things,鈥� Samaniego said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make sense.鈥�
Abbott, who is running for reelection and faces former El Paso Congressman Beto O鈥橰ourke in the November election, has been under pressure from far-right Republicans to do more on the border despite the governor鈥檚 unprecedented actions. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R- Austin, cheered the commercial slowdowns Sunday.
鈥淰ehicle inspections ordered by at border causing massive backup. I favor Texas exercising Article IV power AND also pressuring border traffic鈥� Though, the inspections may force 鈥檚 hand, IFF Texas holds,鈥� he .
Meanwhile, O鈥橰ourke is already using what he says is a misguided policy to slam Abbott.
鈥淛ust like with the grid, where his incompetence is causing us to pay higher bills, he鈥檚 hurting the people of Texas,鈥� O鈥橰ourke , referencing last year鈥檚 winter storm that was responsible for the deaths of hundreds. 鈥淗e鈥檚 causing higher inflation. He鈥檚 forcing people to pay more to put food on the table. And he鈥檚 hurting small businesses along the border and throughout Texas.鈥�
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Got a tip? Email Juli谩n Aguilar at jaguilar@kera.org.You can follow Juli谩n on Twitter @nachoaguilar.
