Dr. Lynn Stucky, Texas State Representative
When I first got to Austin, the Texas Legislature was in the early stages of ramping up border security efforts. The session before, Gov. Greg Abbott secured the first significant pool of funding with $800 million for boots on the ground and technology upgrades. As a state representative and member of the House budget-writing committee, I have secured more than $13 billion for border security efforts, including apprehension and prosecution efforts.
In the most recent special session, I worked with lawmakers to add $1.5 billion for border wall and barrier construction. More than $3 billion is being provided to construct more than 100 miles of border wall, concertina wire, buoys, and more to stop illegal crossings. We also passed a bill to increase the penalties for criminals operating human trafficking operations. These are major victories for Texas but only a portion of the picture. Since 2017, I have fought to take Texas beyond border security.
One of the first major pieces of legislation I helped pass was SB 4, which banned Sanctuary Cities for illegal immigrants in Texas and gave law enforcement more authority to detain individuals who have come into the country illegally. Since then, that bill has become a landmark example of Texas putting smart policy over the failed ideas that took hold in liberal states.
Today, we see the fallout from these sanctuary cities, including the New York Mayor going on a Central American tour to tell migrants to stop coming to America. And now, the Biden Administration has finally admitted that more border wall is necessary.
Each year, Texas continues to add tools for law enforcement to strengthen border security. With the growth of Robson Ranch in recent years, I thought I would highlight Texas’s work to lead the nation on border security solutions. And not just building barriers but tackling the criminal elements taking advantage of the border crisis.
Here are some of the ways Texas is going beyond border security:
* HCR 52 (2017) notified Congress of its outstanding debt to Texas for border security funding, demanding a full reimbursement for all funds spent to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
* SB 4 (2017) in addition to banning sanctuary cities, the bill created a penalty for individuals violating the law and allows the attorney general to remove an individual from office for violating the Sanctuary City ban.
* HB 29 (2017) provided additional resources for victims of human trafficking, strengthened the process for prosecuting suspected traffickers and reorganized the Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force at the Office of the Attorney General.
* SB 20 (2019) increased penalties for online human trafficking and increased resources to help victims.
* HB 2613 (2019) created a criminal penalty for operating a stash house and authorized law enforcement to seize assets connected to human trafficking operations.
* HB 1590 (2019) created the Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force to support law enforcement investigations and give guidelines to the attorney general’s office for rules about evidence in sexual assault cases.
* SB 2188 (2021) authorizes the operation of local detention facilities for illegal immigrants.
* HB 624 (2021) increases penalties for individuals attacking law enforcement while performing their official duties, including our border officers.
* $56 billion in the 2021 budget for programs to combat human trafficking and provide resources to victims.
* SB 423 (2023) authorizing the use of drones by law enforcement along the border.
* SB 602 (2023) expanded authority of border agents to detain more individuals attempting to gain access at ports of entry.
* SB 1403 (2023) authorizes an interstate compact to allow other US states to provide personnel and resources to strengthen border security.
* SB 1484 (2023) expands training by DPS to include local law enforcement working along the border.
* SB 1900 (2023) designates cartels as terrorist organizations, increasing penalties connected to drug smuggling and operating human trafficking stash houses.
These are also in addition to the laws I have fought for and passed to increase penalties for drug trafficking, including steps to target dealers trafficking Fentanyl. With the increase in these dangerous drugs, Texas has also delivered resources to protect law enforcement when working on these drug interdiction cases.
I hope this provides a bigger picture for you on the work to strengthen border security. In each session, I have stepped up my efforts and delivered. I will continue to back our law enforcement on the ground. And we will keep providing resources on the border and across the state to keep Texans safe.