On Monday, State Rep. Bryan Slaton (R-Royse City) called on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to add border security legislation to a special legislative session.
Abbott has previously indicated that there would be at least two special sessions, though he has stopped short of prescribing specific dates or an exhaustive list of what would be considered.
Slaton said this, imploring Abbott to call a special session:
“Texas must finally stand up and protect our citizens, our sovereignty, and the sovereignty of our sister States. Governor Abbott last week underscored the need for Texas to begin this process, including by building a wall. I totally agree. That is why I am urging Governor Abbott to immediately call a special session and make border security legislation a top priority. The people of Texas are rightly calling for action, and the People’s house must fulfill their demand.”
Last week, Abbott conducted a Border Security Summit in Del Rio, Texas, and among several of the announcements he made was his preview of an impending announcement this week of building a border wall here in Texas.
Notably, Slaton filed a bill during the 87th legislative session that would have funded the construction of a border wall but it was never granted a hearing in the Texas House of Representatives. The bill would have also required the wall to have the same specifications of the wall that was started under the Trump Administration and would have laid out provisions to allow for other states to contribute resources to the effort as well as donations from private citizens.
With regard to his efforts in the previous legislative session, Slaton said, “We all knew that we needed a border wall before President Trump campaigned about it. He was able to get some of it built. Biden has halted construction and is allowing for even more illegal drugs and human trafficking to pour across our border. If the federal government won’t act, Texas must do whatever is necessary to end the crisis.”
In addition to building a border wall, Slaton is calling for Texas sheriffs to also be empowered by Texas law to arrest, house, and deport illegal aliens.
