Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) officially confirmed what citizens exposed months ago: that Texas is building a chain-link fence along the border. Opponents of Abbott in the Republican primary criticized his fence for not solving the security problem of illegal border crossings.
After Trump’s departure from the White House, Texas Public Policy Foundation’s April survey of registered Texas voters found 82 percent “agree there is an immigration crisis,” with 25 percent agreeing it is the state’s top issue.
In June, Abbott declared “Texas will build a border wall in our state to secure our border.” $250 million of state taxpayer monies would be used as a down payment.
Roughly a month later, citizens provided photographs showing Abbott’s “border wall” was actually a chain-link fence. Meanwhile, materials meant for Texas’ portion of Trump’s unfinished wall were collecting dust.
Friday morning, Abbott’s Twitter account publicly confirmed and boasted Texas is building “strategic fencing” with “razor wire.”
Construction of strategic fencing continues along the Texas-Mexico border.
Miles of razor wire is being used to repel illegal immigrant crossings into our state.
Progress is being made on our border wall.
Texas is securing the border. pic.twitter.com/IO6fgZlTC5
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 12, 2021
Abbott did not indicate whether or not the materials used could resist wire cutters. None of the images show construction of an actual wall, though he claimed “progress is being made” on it.
“This flimsy fence isn’t going to hinder crossings for very long at all!” Jeffrey Williams commented. “Waste of Texas [taxpayers’] money!”
“So[,] all they need is a ladder or wire clippers,” another replied. “It doesn’t even look that tall.”
When former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agent Victor Avila first discussed Abbott’s fence with Texas Scorecard, he said it wouldn’t stop illegal border crossings. He also said it wouldn’t even be on Texas’ border with Mexico, but 100 yards away.
Avila expressed concerns the fencing would cause those immigrants who do illegally cross the border to suffer dehydration while trying to figure out where to go.
Two of Abbott’s opponents in the Republican Primary took him to task over his announcement. “The facade of his fence and arrests are pure theater that is accomplishing nothing,” Chad Prather told Texas Scorecard.
“While any deterrent is to be complimented, Abbott’s fence is primarily on US soil and once illegals cross the border they are not repelled back into Mexico, they are picked up by Border Patrol and transferred to processing for entry into our Country,” Prather stated. “Securing our border needs to mean that it is not penetrable and that illegals that do get in are not processed but turned back into Mexico.”
“Greg Abbott continues to pretend to secure the Texas Border. He’s put up a chain link fence and arrested a few illegal aliens he then later released,” former State Sen. Don Huffines stated. “When I am Governor of Texas we will finish Donald Trump’s wall and deport illegal aliens who attempt to invade our state. I will never ask permission from the federal government.”
The Allen West campaign was not available for comment.
Avila previously said an effective border wall must be built on the border itself, in those areas where no natural barriers exist. “That would work because now the people can’t come up.” He said he’d found a number of ranchers, who own land at the border, willing for officials to build a wall on their property.
Despite a public pivot to the border, Abbott has yet to issue orders for the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety to stop all illegal border crossings.
