Governor Abbott held a short border security briefing on 7/10. He was joined by Chief Nim Kidd, Major General Tracy Norris, Colonel Steve McCraw, in addition to sheriffs from border counties. The official list of sheriffs and the meeting summary can be found here. Of note, the livestream for the event cut out in several sections.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
Shariff Danny Dominguez, Culberson County
- Are apprehending undocumented immigrants
- Have large presence of DPS, border control and National Guard in his county
- When they are pushed passed capacity, they have to outsource to other local jails in the area which is a burden to the taxpayers
- Some people who are arrested stay up to 90 days
- Have to feed, house, clothe, and find them lawyers all at taxpayer expense
- Needs help with prosecutors
- Turnover for someone charged with human trafficking is 90 days which is unacceptable and expensive
- Border control is declining these kinds of cases
- Want reimbursement for investigative expensive
- Abbott – Present this as a line item to the legislation. What are the most common arrests?
- Dominguez – Find a lot of people wanted from other states, parole violators
- They are taking up space of guys who are actually in support
- Abbott – Will work with jail commission and TCOLE to make the space
- Abbott – Would you and your county be in favor of one of solve self-facilities put up if state provided funding for it and the additional manpower
- Dominguez – Would be very accepting of this
- They are smallest jail in the area but highest level of risk
Governor Greg Abbott
- A month ago, office began the creation of border security team and task force
- Operation Lonestar is a response to new administration
- Want to ensure state officials are working with local sheriffs
- Promised to meet every other week to talk about what are the problems, updates and needs
- Put on agenda for more border security efforts
- Each county is dealing with record number of illegal crossings, unlike anything any of them have ever seen
- When they are arrested there is an issue of where to put them
- Meeting legal standards for intakes and prosecutions
- Every municipality has expressed that they need more manpower
- Gang members and persons from dangerous countries
- Wanting to work on human trafficking
- 800% increase of fentanyl apprehended by DPS in first 4 months of this year
- Need more judges
- Has been a massive increase in high-speed chases
- Subsequently massive increase in danger to police and civilians
- Counties 150 miles inland are complaining about these issues
- Once the illegals and their drugs enter Texas, they go to other states and harm them which is why so many of them have offered Texas support
- Federal government abandoned their responsibility and won’t help TX or counties with this issue
Questions:
Q: A month ago you said you were going to go to war. But you don’t have a plan and don’t have a budget, or wall built, will that happen in our lifetime. Where is the money coming from?
- Abbott – That Is an uninformed question
- The first thing needed to be done was hiring a program manager, TFC has begun that process
- TFC has already received bids and speeds for building the wall, both of which are lower than expected
- The money is coming from the State of Texas
- Federal government abandoned their duty
Q: Are you going to coordinate the wall with border control to ensure we are using Texas right of way or land we already own?
- Abbott – We already have lots of mileage being offered by residents who own property in addition to long range of mileage that the state owns
- They have more mileage of land being offered to build now than the Trump administration did
Q: There is currently lower staffing, especially in the Southwest Region, than there was during the Trump but more importantly Obama administration. Why is that?
- President Trump did more than any other president to secure the border as well as any other to decrease people coming over the border
- He was able to do this by keeping things such as the Remain in Mexico Policy and Policy 42
- In April 2020, there were about 17,000 arrests
- This April that number increases 1,000% to more than 170,000
- Biden Administration abandoned the standards put in place by Trump admin that statistically slowed border crossing
Q: Will the money be already appropriated during the session or additional funds during special session?
- Asking for additional during special session
- Part for additional strategies conducted and other part for expressed needs
Q: Presumably if there are more arrests that means you need more lawyers?
- That is one of the cost figures
- There is a legal requirement to pay for a prisoner’s defense if they can’t
In Closing
- Abbott – Is going to go back to meeting with Sheriffs about their needs and plans of action