[guest post by Dana]
In light of the federal government opting not to do its job in securing the border, Governor Perry is taking action.
TX can’t afford to wait for D.C. to act on the border & won't sit idly by while safety of our citizens is threatened. http://t.co/hZz0WNMPCG
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) June 19, 2014
The Texas border remains unsecured, threatening the safety of Texas citizens and provoking a humanitarian issue in our border counties. According to recent Texas threat assessments, the majority of Mexican cartels maintain control of networks in Texas to support drug and human smuggling operations. The various crimes directly related to cartels – murder, sexual assault, extortion, child prostitution, home invasion – put Texas citizens’ lives at risk and strain the resources of state and local law enforcement and criminal justice systems. In addition, apprehension of unaccompanied minor children in the Rio Grande Valley more than doubled last year, overwhelming federal resources and creating the potential for increased drug trafficking and human smuggling.
The responsibility for securing the border rests exclusively on the federal government. The federal government’s failure to secure the border has created an incentive for families to send their children on a dangerous, and sometimes fatal, journey. Until the federal government fulfills its duty, it falls on the state of Texas to address those obligations.
UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Several days ago, I said:
Right now, Abbott is seeking federal funds to pay for this. What if the funds are denied? That’s where is gets interesting. What if Abbott decides to employ state resources to defend a border that the federal government is clearly taking no steps to protect?
It’s now interesting.
Texas’ top three lawmakers agreed Wednesday to spend tens of millions dollars to fund a surge operation along the border to deal with the influx of Central American children pouring into Texas.
Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov David Dewhurst and House Speaker Joe Straus authorized a deal for emergency funding of $1.3 million per week for a Department of Public Safety surge operation that will run through at the least the end of the year.
Will Obama try to stop this?