Texas Bills to Watch: SCR 23, urging the federal government to declare foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations
Rio Grande at Eagle Pass. Image by Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0.
March 8, 2023 | Austin, TX
It’s not just illegal immigrants looking for a better life. It’s not just the drain on our already taxed institutions. Narco-terrorist cartels are pouring across our Texas border, the fentanyl crisis is becoming horrific, women and children are being abused and trafficked, and crime across the board is spiking to unprecedented levels.
“Texas is entitled as a sovereign state of the United States of America to protect itself against this current foreign drug cartel invasion; this constitutional authority grants the state of Texas the power to defend the state when the state has been invaded or is “in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.”
That is what is specified under Article 1, Section 10 of the US Constitution. So why are our federal and state governments so reluctant to do anything meaningful to protect their citizens?
Our own Senator Lois Kohlhorst (TX SD-18) thinks they should and has authored Senate Resolution 23 (SCR 23) urging the use of all applicable state and local resources and authority “to repel this violent foreign drug cartel invasion.”
“Texas must send a strong message that crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants and drug traffickers will not stand,” said Kolkhorst. “Where the federal government is avoiding its responsibility, Texas will fulfill its constitutional duty to protect our citizens, property, and border.”
SCR 23 includes three main provisions:
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas hereby demand the federal government to immediately declare violent foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1189;
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby find that the State of Texas has been invaded by foreign drug cartels and that the citizens of this state are in danger of irreparable harm;
RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby encourage all applicable state and local resources as needed, to use any and all authority under Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution to repel this violent foreign drug cartel invasion, and that such authority should be invoked with the intention of utilizing such authority in the most peaceful manner possible consistent with bringing this invasion to a conclusion at the earliest possible moment.
Texans for Strong Borders President Chris Russo commended Senator Kolkhorst for filing a resolution to declare an invasion at the Texas border. He issued the following statement:
“Texans for Strong Borders strongly applauds State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst for recognizing this threat and demanding our state take appropriate action to repel this invasion and protect the safety and sovereignty of our state. This sends a strong message to Governor Abbott and others within our state that our current response, although unprecedented, is not strong enough to actually stop the influx of illegal aliens and deadly drugs into our state.”
Russo further added:
“Texas faces an existential threat in the border crisis that has been unleashed under the Biden Administration. Texas cannot afford to wait until 2025 to act, and it doesn’t have to. Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution and Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution allow the Governor to mobilize the resources of the state to repel an invasion directly. We repeat our call to Governor Abbott to do so immediately and use these powers to repel would-be illegal crossings and expel those apprehended directly back to Mexico.”