GOV. ABBOTT DECLARES DISASTER ALONG SOUTHERN BORDER

  

Governor Greg Abbott has issued a disaster declaration along Texas’ southern border in response to what he calls an “ongoing surge of individuals unlawfully crossing the Texas-Mexico border.”

Through the declaration, Abbott is authorizing the use of all necessary and available state and local resources to protect landowners in counties included in the declaration.  He has also directed Texas DPS to enforce all federal and state criminal laws, including criminal trespassing, smuggling and human trafficking.

Counties listed in the declaration are Brewster, Brooks, Cameron, Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Duval, Edwards, El Paso, Goliad, Gonzales, Hidalgo, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Maverick, McMullen, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Reeves, Starr, Sutton, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Zapata and Zavala.

Abbott also directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to take all necessary steps to discontinue state licensure of any child care facility under a contract with the federal government that “shelters or detains unlawful immigrants.”

In addition, Abbott directed the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to provide appropriate guidance and request any necessary waivers in order to give counties “the flexibility needed to establish adequate alternative detention facilities or otherwise add or expand capacity.”

Abbott said by declaring a state of disaster in these counties, Texas will have more resources and strategies available to “protect landowners and enforce all federal and state laws to combat criminal activities stemming from the border crisis.”