AUSTIN— Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued the following statement regarding the decision announced today to deploy the National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border:
“I applaud Governor Perry for providing the decisive leadership needed to address this crisis. Make no mistake: This is more than a border crisis – this is a national crisis affecting communities and taxpayers across the country. This crisis is a public safety priority, and deploying the National Guard to the border is crucial to address the organized criminal activity by cartels and international gangs. Texas will put boots on the ground to secure the border, but we will expect the federal government to foot the bill.”
The Office of the Attorney General will provide legal counsel and continued efforts as long as it takes to fulfill our duty to our citizens to secure the border. Weeks ago, Attorney General Abbott made his first request for additional resources to combat the surge of unauthorized immigration and has been following the escalating situation closely ever since. In June, Attorney General Abbott visited the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Command Post in Weslaco and met with DPS Senior Command officers in the Emergency Operations Center to discuss DPS’s border surge operations. Attorney General Abbott also toured the Lackland Air Force Base facility that is housing hundreds of immigrant minors, as well as a facility in Hidalgo County.
Because of the significant costs and resources borne by the State of Texas in dealing with the border crisis and unauthorized immigration, Attorney General Abbott has asked all relevant state agencies to provide information on any past and anticipated future costs related to unauthorized immigration. This information will assist Attorney General Abbott as he considers any and all potential legal avenues against the federal government to recoup all related costs that have been incurred by the State of Texas and its agencies as a result of the Obama Administration’s failure to secure the border. The Texas Attorney General’s Office is also providing legal advice, counsel and support to the Governor’s Office and the Adjutant General’s Office regarding the National Guard deployment.”
