Gov. Abbott Signs Border Security Legislation, AG Paxton Secures Injunction
December 19, 2023 | Brownsville, TX
Governor Greg Abbott signed three bills into law on Monday in Brownsville to deal with the Texas border crisis.
Governor Abbott ceremonially signed two bills from Special Session 4: Senate Bill 3, providing funding for border barrier infrastructure, and Senate Bill 4, making it a crime to enter Texas illegally. Both will go into effect on March 5.
He also ceremonially signed Senate Bill 4 from Special Session 3. SB 4 increases the criminal penalties for human smuggling and operating a stash house.
“Four years ago, the United States had the fewest illegal border crossings in decades,” said Governor Abbott. “It was because of four policies put in place by the Trump Administration that led to such a low number of illegal crossings. President Biden has eliminated all of those policies and done nothing to halt illegal immigration. President Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself. These laws will help stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas, add additional funding to build more border wall, and crackdown on human smuggling.”
Lawsuit Immediately Filed
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas and the Texas Civil Rights Project immediately filed a lawsuit to challenge SB 4 from Special Session 4, which makes it a crime to enter the state illegally.
In its lawsuit, the ACLU argues that the legislation violates the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. They filed the lawsuit on behalf of Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, the American Gateways, and the County of El Paso.
Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Injunction Stopping Biden Administration from Destroying Vital Border Barriers
On December 19, Attorney General Ken Paxton won an injunction pending appeal against the Biden administration, preventing the federal government from continuing to destroy concertina wire barriers placed by Texas in response to the historic invasion of unvetted foreign aliens into the state.
Previously, despite recognizing that the federal government had failed to enforce existing immigration law, a federal district court concluded that the Biden Administration enjoyed sovereign immunity. The judge allowed Border Patrol agents to resume the destruction of Texas-owned barriers.
Attorney General Paxton immediately appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which concluded that the federal government was not immune from suit and enjoined Biden’s border agents from damaging, destroying, or otherwise interfering with Texas’s concertina wire fence while the issue continues to be litigated.
“I am very pleased the appellate court has forbidden federal agents sent by the Biden administration from destroying our concertina wire fences,” said Attorney General Paxton. “Given the ongoing disaster at the southern border due to the federal government’s intentional actions, more than ever it is necessary to take every step we can to hold the line. I will continue to fight against the Biden administration’s radical policies and work to make Texas a safer, more secure place to live.”
The Office of the Attorney General and co-counsel the Texas Public Policy Foundation have pledged to continue defending Texans from the dangerous consequences of the Biden administration’s open borders policies.
To read the injunction, click here.