Texas Sees Migrant Encounters Plummet As Gov. Abbott Enforces Strict Border Policies - 'Over 112,700 Migrants To Sanctuary Cities'

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) has been at the forefront of combating the crisis at the southern border since the beginning of the Biden administration in 2021, and his policies are having a large impact on the number of migrants coming into the Lone Star State.

Gov. Abbott began to take executive action at the border with Operation Lone Star in early 2021 following President Biden's inauguration and his sudden reversal of nearly all of Trump's policies on the US-Mexico border. The governor deployed thousands of state and National Guard troops to the Rio Grande to attempt to deter migrants from crossing into Texas, and those who did get across were subsequently put onto buses and taken to liberal sanctuary cities in Democrat-led states.

Since the busing program began, over 112,700 migrants have been taken to liberal cities across the country, including over 42,500 to New York City, over 34,700 to Chicago, over 18,100 to Denver, over 12,500 to Washington DC, over 3,400 to Philadelphia, and over 1,500 to Los Angeles. "We will continue until President Biden secures the border," the governor wrote on X.

Thanks to these policies, US Customs and Border Protection personnel have encountered more migrants overall outside of Texas in the first three months of the year. "We are having a profound impact in stopping the flow of illegal immigration into the state of Texas," the governor said in an interview with The Texas Tribune.

According to the Tribune, 43 percent of migrant encounters along the border have occured in Texas since October. This number, however, is still too high for the governor, who has been using every legal avenue he can to protect the sovereignty of his state. Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) has repeatedly taken the Biden administration to court to argue in favor of Texas' right to put up razor wire along the Rio Grande and to enforce SB 4, a recently passed law that would grant law enforcement the ability to arrest illegal immigrants and then deport them on a judge's orders.

"The vast majority of the United States' southern border is in Texas, and because of Texas' efforts to secure the border, more migrants are moving west to illegally cross the border into other states," Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement. "Until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue utilizing every tool and strategy to respond to this Biden-made crisis."

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