Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Thursday announced that Texas will fund and resume construction of former President Trump’s border wall.
Abbott did not offer any details about when construction would take place or where it would be built.
“I will announce next week the plan for The State of Texas to begin building the border wall in the state of Texas,” said Abbott to cheers and applause at a Border Security Summit in Del Rio.
At the summit, Abbott invoked Article 4 of the Texas Constitution to form “The Governor’s Task Force on Border and Homeland Security.” The Task Force will consist of representatives from various state agencies — including the Department of Public Safety and the Emergency Management Division — and meet every two weeks to discuss border security. Abbott also approved $1 billion to be spent on border security from the latest budget.
Earlier this month, Abbott issued a disaster declaration along the Texas-Mexico border, citing the recent rise in migration.
Abbotts intention to push forward with the wall using Texas tax dollars was met with criticism from many local officials and civil rights advocates across the border, who see the Governor's recent actions as an attempt to position himself for the 2024 presidential election.
RELATED | On The Texas-Mexico Border, Gov. Abbott’s Disaster Declaration Rings Political
“The benefits that Greg Abbott purports about the border wall are symbolic,” said Dani Marrero Director of Advocacy at La Union Del Pueblo Entero (LUPE). “But there are people and families who are going to be directly impacted. During the whole Trump administration, people were worried about losing their homes and losing their land. So those are the kinds of Texans that Greg Abbott would be putting into danger again as well.”
TPR was founded by and is supported by our community. If you value our commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today.
Copyright 2021 Texas Public Radio. To see more, visit Texas Public Radio. 9(MDAxODQzOTgwMDEyMTcyNjI4MTAxYWQyMw004))