As we look back on the first quarter of 2015, it’s easy to see that increasing the number of boots on the ground at the border has helped. Despite that, some Congressional Democrats want to stop to evaluate this effort before going further. According to the El Paso Times,
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, wrote a letter to R. Gil Kerlikowske, commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, asking for statistics relating to Texas Operation Strong Safety…”
While Congressman Castro wants to pause, there is already data showing some results. The Houston Chronicle reports:
…the state’s Department of Public Safety has gone high tech…Their efforts are bearing fruit. In particular, a network of more than a thousand motion-activated wildlife cameras helped border guards make almost 30,000 apprehensions and seize 88,400 pounds of drugs in 2014.”
Additionally, the San Antonio Express-News reports:
Border agencies say they are better equipped to manage another surge, with more space for families at detention facilities in Dilley and Karnes County and up to 7,300 beds in facilities across the country for unaccompanied minors,”
Providing more resources to the border has resulted in more apprehensions, more drug seizures, and more space to house undocumented immigrants. Now is not the time to pause while we analyze the plan’s effectiveness. Now, we should press on with Governor Abbott’s plan to secure Texas, as the federal government refuses to act.
As townhall.com boldly claims, “Texas Leads Where Feds Fail.”
This legislative session, Texas is creating a national model for border security that will fill the gaps in the incomplete system managed by the federal government.”