Earlier this week, in an interview with Fox News, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called Texas’ border crisis an invasion and blamed the worsening situation on President Joe Biden’s failure to act.
As record numbers of illegal migrants continue flooding through the southern border, cartels are finding more opportunities to smuggle drugs, like fentanyl, into the United States. Recently, the CDC released data naming fentanyl as the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. When asked for his thoughts on the new research, Patrick called out Biden for ignoring the issue.
“This is far worse than any threat they will talk to you about … because we’ve apprehended enough fentanyl crossing the Mexican border to Texas to kill just about every American,” said Patrick. “This president, his policies, have always ended up in killing Americans … whether it’s his policy in Afghanistan, whether it’s his policy on the border… and he does nothing about it.”
Earlier this week, several Texas border counties declared the crisis an invasion. Patrick voiced support for the declaration and implored Biden to take action and help the struggling Texas counties.
“I’ve been saying this for years and was criticized for saying this is an invasion,” said Patrick. “An invasion of people, an invasion of drugs into our country … and the president can clearly do something about it. He needs to tell China he will double the tariffs if they don’t shut down the fentanyl labs in China, and he needs to tell Mexico he will stop imports of any products into this country until this stops.”
The border counties also called on Gov. Abbott to enact Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution. This section allows states to defend themselves from an invasion if the federal government fails to offer protection. Patrick slammed the federal government for their inaction and highlighted how Texas could use this section of the Constitution to alleviate the crisis.
“They need to secure this border. … They need to quit lying to the American public that it’s a secure border. It makes me ill every time I hear it because they’re just lying to people,” said Patrick. “We are being invaded, and if we’re being invaded, under the Constitution, I think that gives us the power to put hands on people and send them back.”
Patrick closed his interview by calling out Biden for failing to end the humanitarian crisis along the border and remaining silent on the issue. Since assuming office in 2021, Biden has yet to visit the border and hear from his constituents facing the effects of unmitigated illegal migration. Patrick also detailed Texas’ efforts to solve the border crisis.
“We normally spend $400 million on the border, which is an extraordinary amount of money. This year, as president of the Senate, I allocated—and the governor signed off on—$4 billion,” said Patrick. “We’re doing the job that the federal government is not. Joe Biden has turned his back on this. … It’s all on Biden.”
On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott authorized Texas National Guard and DPS troopers to return illegal aliens to the border, but he stopped short of declaring an invasion or authorizing their removal.
