Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham condemned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s newly proposed plan for a Joint Processing Center in Webb County.
In February, DHS proposed “the acquisition of land, and to construct, operate, and maintain a new Joint Processing Center (JPC) on a 100-acre parcel of land in Laredo, Webb County, Texas to support humanitarian efforts along the southwestern U.S./Mexico international border.”
Under this proposal, the JPC would house 500 “undocumented non-citizens,” and possibly expand to housing up to 1,000 later on.
In her response to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Buckingham pointed out that the number of illegal aliens crossing over the southern border since 2021 “exceeds the population of 36 U.S. states and exceeds 1/4 of the total population of the State of Texas.”
“These eye-popping numbers represent a complete dereliction of duty by the Biden administration and the Secretary of DHS, Alejandro Mayorkas,” Buckingham wrote.
While I commend CBP on their tireless efforts to police the border, the proposal for DHS to spend tens of millions of dollars (or more) to build a JPC which accommodates ‘500 non-citizens in processing’ is an expensive Band-Aid on a gunshot wound.
In a press release, Buckingham added, “The Biden Administration’s policies and utter refusal to follow the law have fueled the worst border crisis in American history. Due to this dereliction of duty, Texans have been killed, their properties have been damaged, and their safety is constantly compromised.”
“Instead of throwing money at this processing center, which will have no significant impact on this ongoing border invasion, the Biden Administration should change its lawless approach to the border – and secure it for the sake of the nation this administration swore to defend,” Buckingham concluded.
Meanwhile, Texas has attempted to curb the flow of illegal immigration into the state by implementing a new law that would create a state crime for entering Texas illegally. However, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted the law from taking effect following an emergency request from the U.S. Department of Justice.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
