Texas has a reputation for obstinance, which makes Governor Greg Abbott a good fit. Since border wall construction was halted by the Biden Administration – causing a tremendous pull factor of new caravans to come in droves – Governor Abbott announced that Texas, in defiance of the White House, will proceed with the construction of additional border wall across its southern border. News that came as both welcomed and less so among political spectators.
The implantation of new border defense is being carried out on state and privately donated land and funded by nearly a quarter-billion dollars in state revenue as well as public donations. The announcement of the continued effort to build the border wall raised more than a quarter of a million dollars (approximately $397,000) in individual donations in the first week. Though some skepticism has been raised regarding the source of the taxes being repurposed.
Texas is obviously not the only state that benefits from having its border with Central America secured: Other states that would be unable to absorb new migrant populations reap the benefits as well. A secure border that safeguards against a continuous tide of un-processable people wanting to take advantage of a federal government unwilling and unable to stop them is in the national interest. Not just Texas. For this reason, some states have even, in essence, donated their national guard members to aid in operations.
However, will Texas’s efforts be enough? New Mexico sits directly next to Texas and their state government has expressed little to no intention of emulating such border security measures; the lack of which could result in migrants simply crossing into Texas from New Mexico rather than Old Mexico. Then again, reducing the number of potential entry points, thus making migrant pathways more predictable, would aid in detainment and deportation immensely.