Tex. border order
Gov: Stop all trucks, send migrants to DC
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday ordered state troopers to begin stopping and inspecting commercial vehicles coming across the US-Mexico border and — in a dig at President Biden and Congress — he said charter buses would be offered to take illegal migrants to Washington, DC.
With only seven weeks to go until the Biden administration lifts the Title 42 immigration order that allows health-related expulsions of asylum-seekers without hearings, Abbott announced multiple measures to protect his state and combat the massive influx of migrants anticipated to cross the border this spring.
“To help local officials — because communities are being overwhelmed by hordes of illegal immigrants who are being dropped off by the Biden administration — Texas is providing charter buses for these illegal immigrants who have been dropped off to Washington, DC,” the Republican governor said Wednesday.
“We are sending them to the United States capital where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border,” he added.
Texas officials also said they would begin “increased military activity” on the southand ern border install raat zor wire low-water border points to deter migrants from crossing.
Flanked by Texas troopers in the border city of Weslaco, Abbott acknowledged that additional inspections of commercial vehicles near US ports of entry will “dramatically slow” vehicle traffic coming into the country but claimed it will “immediately help ensure that Texans are not in danger.” Following the governor’s press conference, Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said Abbott is clearly “trying to make a point to DC lawmakers.” Abbott (inset) claimed many commercial vehientering cles from Meximmigrants ico “smuggle and other illegal cargo into Texas and onto our roads.” Additionally, the Repubgovernor lican revealed that beginning Thursday the Texas National
Guard will begin a “first phase of mass migration rehearsal,” to prepare for the anticipated spring surge of migrants.
He said troops will be equipped with riot gear to preempt “potential caravan violence.”
Wednesday’s announcement is the first stage in a two-part process of preparing for the lifting of Title 42 in May, Abbott said.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that Title 42 will be lifted on May 23.
First imposed in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic, the order has allowed border officials to immediately expel nearly 2 million migrants who have attempted to enter the US without hearing asylum claims.
While local border officials have warned that the administration has “no plan” in preparing for hundreds of thousands of migrants expected to cross the border, the Department of Defense confirmed to The Post on Wednesday that it will be providing “some” support.