Governor Greg Abbott Policies
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Governor Greg Abbott delivered a letter to President Joe Biden, upon his arrival in El Paso for his first trip to the border, calling on him to do his job and secure the border by enforcing federal immigration laws.
In a letter, Governor Abbott provided five specific actions the President can immediately take to secure the border and restore order to an out-of-control immigration crisis.
The Governor handed the letter to President Biden after greeting him on the tarmac at the El Paso International Airport. The visit marks the President's first trip to the southern border since being sworn into office almost two years ago.
Governor Abbott has taken unprecedented action to secure the border in the wake of the federal government's inaction, including:
- Securing $4 billion in funding for Texas' border security efforts
- Launching Operation Lone Star and deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers
- Taking aggressive action to aid border communities, including busing thousands of migrants to Washington D.C., New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia
- Designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations to keep Texans safe amid the growing national fentanyl crisis.
- Arresting and jailing criminals trespassing or committing other state crimes along the southern border
- Issuing an executive order authorizing the Texas National guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return illegal immigrants to the border at ports of entry
- Allocating resources to acquire 1,700 unused steel panels to build the border wall in Texas
- Signing into law to make it easier to prosecute smugglers bringing people into Texas
- Signing 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking in Texas
- Signing a law enhancing penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl
- Issuing a disaster declaration for the border crisis
- Issuing an executive order preventing non-governmental entities from transporting illegal immigrants
- Signing memoranda of understanding between the State of Texas and the States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas to enhance border security measures in their states that will prevent illegal immigration from Mexico to Texas
- Activating the Joint Border Security Operations Center (JBSOC) and directing the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Military Department, and Texas Division of Emergency Management to coordinate Texas' response to secure the border
The Honorable Joseph R. Biden Jr.
President of the United States
Dear President Biden,
Your visit to our southern border with Mexico today is $20 billion too little too late. Moreover, your visit avoids the site where mass illegal immigration occurs and sidesteps the thousands of angry Texas property owners whose lives have been destroyed by your border policies. Even the city you visit has been sanitized of the migrant camps which have overrun downtown El Paso because your Administration wants to shield you from the chaos that Texans experience on a daily basis. The chaos is the direct result of your failure to enforce the immigration laws that Congress enacted.
Under President Trump, the federal government achieved historically low levels of illegal immigration. Under your watch, by contrast, America is suffering the worst illegal immigration in the history of our country. your open-border policies have emboldened the cartels, who grow wealthy by trafficking deadly fentanyl and even human beings. Texans are paying an especially high price for your failure, sometimes with their lives, as local leaders from your own party will tell you if given the chance.
All of this is happening because you have violated your constitutional obligation to defend the States against invasion through faithful execution of federal laws. Halfway through your presidency, though, I can finally welcome you to the border. When you finish the photo-ops in a carefully stage-managed version of El Paso, you have a job to do:
You must comply with the many statutes mandating the various categories of aliens "shall" be detained and end the practice of unlawfully paroling aliens en masse.
You must stop sandbagging the implementation of the Remain-in-Mexico policy and Title 42 expulsions and fully enforce those measures as the federal courts have ordered you to do.
You must aggressively prosecute illegal entry between ports of entry, and allow ICE to remove illegal immigrants in accordance with existing federal laws.
You must immediately resume construction of the border wall in the State of Texas, using the billions of dollars Congress has appropriated for that purpose.
You must designate the Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
On behalf of all Americans, I implore you: Secure our border by enforcing Congress's immigration laws.
Sincerely,
Greg Abbott
Governor
The Texas of Tomorrow
This letter is from Governor Greg Abbott to the loyal Texans of tomorrow:
I want to personally reach out to you now that the legislative session in Texas has begun to share some of the many victories in the state over the past few years.
Thanks to the hard work of all Texans, the state continues to be an economic powerhouse with strong small businesses and consistent job growth. Additionally, we have the largest surplus in Texas history, which we will use to provide the biggest property tax cut in history.
Due to the incredible teachers, administration, parents, and children, Texas has one the best graduation rates in the country. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, Texas is providing opportunities that people cannot get anywhere else.
With the Biden Administration missing in action, Texas is using every tool to protect our state and keep our communities safe. We are building our own border wall, deploying the National Guard and Department of Public Safety troopers, and targeting cartels that are bringing deadly drugs and dangerous criminals across our border.
From our economy to our people, to our public safety, the state is working hard to transform the lives of Texans for generations. Together, we will build the Texas of tomorrow. Together, we will ensure that Texas remains the greatest state in the country for years to come. Thank you for your time.
Greg Abbott
Executive Action by Governor Abbott
Additional Information
The Pastor Protection Act, SB 2065– Protection for pastors and churches from lawsuits regarding their refusal to perform or host a marriage ceremony that violates their sincerely held religious beliefs. The bill passed thanks to the heroic efforts of Senator Craig Estes and Representative Scott Sanford, himself a pastor.
The Freedom to Serve Children Act, HB 3859– Protection for faith-based child welfare providers from being targets of discrimination or litigation if they do not refer girls for abortion, or if they chose to only place children in homes with a married mother and father.
The Save Chick-fil-A Religious Freedom Law, SB 1978– This law ensures state and local governments do not punish Texans because of their membership or association with a religious organization, or because of their donation to a religious organization.
The Pro-Life Texas Heartbeat Bill, SB 8- By Bryan Hughes along with the House companion bill (HB 1515) by Representative Shelby Slawson would protect the lives of the unborn from the moment a heartbeat is detected. The bill requires physicians to check for a heartbeat and inform the mother if the presence of a heartbeat is detected. Once a heartbeat is detected, the doctor must take all necessary steps to protect the life of a child. The bill also creates civil liability for aiding and abetting an abortion.
Other bills protecting innocent unborn children include:
SB 650 by Senator Donna Cambell and HB 1173 by Representative Candy Noble- Closes a loophole used by some government entities to indirectly support the abortion industry by providing taxpayer dollars for organizations providing logistical such as food, lodging, and transportation to minors seeking abortions.
SB 1173 by Senator Kelly Hancock and HB 3218 by Representative Matt Schaefer would prohibit discriminatory abortions on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, probability, or confirmed diagnosis of down Syndrome or probability of disability; also closes the fetal abnormality loophole for late term abortions and requires providing perinatal palliative care information to pregnant women.
SB 394 by Senator Eddie Lucio- Places regulatory requirements on the use of chemical abortion drugs in Texas.
SB 9 by Senator Angela Paxton- Puts a mechanism into state law to stop the practice of abortion as soon as the U.S. Supreme Court reverses its rulings under Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
The Freedom to Worship Act, SB 26 by Senator Angela Paxton and HB 1239 by Representative Scott Sanford- It would prohibit a government agency or public official from closing places of worship or suspending laws that are in place to protect religious freedom.
Other legislation that has been filed to protect religious freedom rights include:
HJR 72 by Representative Jeff Leach- This proposes a constitutional amendment to the Texas Constitution to prevent state and local government from prohibiting or limiting religious services conducted by religious organizations.
SJR 27 by Senator Kelly Hancock- This proposes a constitutional amendment to prohibit this state or a political subdivision of this state from prohibiting or limiting a religious service conducted by a religious organization.
HB 525 by Representative Matt Shaheen- This is to protect religious organizations as essential during a state of disaster.
Save Women's Sports Bill, HB 25– The athlete's sex on the birth certificate nearest at birth will be used to decide if a student plays in girls' or boys' sports in high school sports. Representative Valoree Swanson and Senator Charles Perry authorized HB 25. This legislation protects girls' sports by making sure that biological males cannot compete unfairly in girls' sports.
Governor Abbott Stands With Israel
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Texas stands proudly with Israel and the Jewish people.
Following the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel, we took swift action to show Texas' unwavering support for Israel amid the heinous acts of war carried out by these brutal terrorists.
Texas expedited over $4 million in additional funding to provide enhanced security for Jewish organizations in Texas, such as synagogues and schools. I issued an Executive Order prohibiting Texas state agencies from purchasing goods produced in or exported from the Gaza Strip and directed Texas DPS to work with federal and local partners to heighten public safety measures. We also lowered flags to half-staff across Texas in honor of the lives lost in Israel, including the lives of American citizens.
As Israel defends itself from these ruthless acts of war, the bond between Texas and Israel is stronger than ever.
Thank you,
Governor Greg Abbott
Working together for the future of Texas.
Lea C.S. Simmons
About our endorsement of Governor Abbott
We support Governor Abbott.
We will be releasing a press release to show Governor Abbott our support and gratitude for previously acknowledging us in the 2024 May 28th Runoff. We also want to thank Governor Abbott for being a strong leader.