By State Rep. Brooks Landgraf
Our American society, in a legal sense, is entirely dependent on a few thousand words written down 200 years ago. We refer to those words as the Constitution. Its words protect us from tyranny and also bind us all under the same rule of law.
If we stop upholding our Constitution and the principles embodied in it, we are inviting anarchy and chaos to become the law of the land.
That is why I am so vehemently against the Biden administration’s open border policies. President Biden’s lack of full regard for the rule of law is not only an immediate threat to the health and welfare of those of us who live in border states, it’s also helping to create a future where laws and facts don’t matter.
The situation that is unfolding has caused an unprecedented strain on border communities and the State of Texas. However, where the Biden administration has failed to act, Texas has stepped up, and I’m proud to be a leader in our state’s fight.
To address the concerning situation on the Texas border, and after hearing testimony from border sheriffs on the frontlines, I proudly supported allocating an additional $2.9 billion for border security operations conducted by the State of Texas (without raising or creating any new taxes).
This funding paved the way for Operation Lone Star, a joint effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard to prevent human smuggling and drug trafficking coming from Mexico into Texas. The operation deploys air, ground, marine, and tactical border security assets to high-threat areas along the border.
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, thousands of pounds of drugs such as meth, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl have been seized. The amount of fentanyl seized so far is enough to kill 36 million people. The operation has also resulted in over 185 thousand apprehensions of illegal migrants.
Texas is also picking up the slack when it comes to the border wall, providing $1 billion to finish the work halted by the Biden administration. Construction of the barrier, which is also being partially funded by private donations, is already underway on state owned land. Every Texas taxpayer deserves credit for helping to preserve the rule of law and keep Americans safe.
Last week, I joined U.S. Rep, August Pfluger (TX-11) and Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis for an update on joint border security efforts and Operation Lone Star. While I’m proud of the work Texas has done to make the border more secure, that trip let me see with my own eyes just how much more work needs to be done.
It’s the federal government’s job, but in Texas, we don’t ask for permission to defend our sovereignty and protect our communities. And we aren’t going to ask for forgiveness either. The brave men and women in uniform stationed at the border are heroes, making every Texan safer whether they know it or not. They are catching some of the world’s worst criminals, preventing crimes before they happen and liberating countless children from the shackles of human trafficking.
For the sake of liberty, I’ll continue doing everything I can to keep Texans safe and secure the border. I take my oath to protect and defend the Constitution seriously and I pray for the day when the President of the United States does the same.
God bless Texas!
