On the Border, Texas Shows Trump the Way

Tom Homan, a staunch immigration hardliner chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as his “border czar,” boarded a helicopter last week for an aerial tour of Texas, as Governor Greg Abbott showcased the state’s efforts to curb illegal crossings from Mexico.

During the tour, Abbott pointed out a newly established camp for the Texas National Guard, whose mission along the border has increasingly resembled a military operation. Nearby, floating barriers in the Rio Grande river present a drowning hazard for migrants, while concertina wire along the riverbanks has left many border crossers injured. State police are frequently seen patrolling the area, detaining migrants in an unprecedented extension of state authority over immigration matters.https://wordpress.com/

“This is a model we can replicate nationwide,” Homan remarked after addressing National Guard members and state troopers involved in border enforcement in the border town of Eagle Pass. “I’m impressed by what I’ve witnessed here today.”

Criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of border security, Texas has spent billions of dollars over the past three years to stem unauthorized border crossings on its own, often clashing with the federal government and pushing the boundaries of state power.

However, these conflicts seem to be winding down, as Texas is poised to take on a more central role in what the incoming Trump administration has promised will be a swift and sweeping border crackdown, accompanied by the largest deportation program in U.S. history.

Other Republican-led states have shown support for these efforts. Utah’s Governor Spencer Cox has pledged to cooperate with the new administration to “identify, incarcerate, and deport” migrants convicted of crimes, while Oklahoma’s Governor Kevin Stitt has expressed intentions to deport unauthorized migrants currently held in state prisons.

But Texas, as the only Republican-led state on the Mexican border, is in a unique position.

In recent weeks, Texas officials have launched new border programs, prepared for the conclusion of several legal battles with the federal government, and offered assistance to the incoming administration to help implement its deportation plan.

Dawn Buckingham, the state’s land commissioner, has already proposed making 1,400 acres of state-owned land in South Texas available for the development of a federal deportation facility. She has also disclosed plans to identify additional potential sites near El Paso.

“Whatever the federal government requires, I’m ready to provide it,” Buckingham, a Republican, said in an interview. “If the Trump administration asks for space near Austin, Dallas, or Houston, we’re more than willing to help.”

Governor Abbott has indicated that he has discussed the border situation with Trump following the election, and Texas is already taking steps to prepare — “actions, planning, preparation, schematics” — for the anticipated deportation program.

Abbott’s office declined to give further details, and Trump has yet to release a full plan, although he has suggested that he intends to declare a national emergency on immigration, with the U.S. military playing a role.

In a joint Fox News interview, Abbott expressed his support for using military resources for deportations, citing the Texas National Guard’s involvement in the state’s border security program, Operation Lone Star.

“In Texas, we’ve shown how law enforcement can collaborate with military forces — where the police handle policing, and the military focuses on building border barriers to prevent entry,” Abbott stated.

“We’re already coordinating,” Homan added. “We’re making plans now, not waiting until January 20th,” referring to Inauguration Day. “The planning is already underway. Come January 20th, it’s game on.”

Yet, Abbott has suggested that the state’s role will diminish as the Trump administration takes charge, calling Texas’s current efforts a “stopgap” measure.

Both Abbott and other Republican figures, such as Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, have indicated that the state will soon redirect its spending on border enforcement toward other priorities, such as infrastructure, education, and healthcare. Over the past three years, Texas has spent over $10 billion on border security.

“We’ll be able to reallocate some of that funding back to Texans for things like roads, water, education, and healthcare,” Patrick said in a recent interview.

Democrats have urged the governor to seek reimbursement from the Trump administration for the funds Texas has already spent. “The time to act is now,” said Representative Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio, chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.

Since President Biden’s inauguration, Governor Abbott has pushed the envelope on what state governments can do to enforce immigration laws, an area typically reserved for federal jurisdiction under the Constitution.

In 2021, state police began arresting migrants on state charges of trespassing on private land, housing thousands in state jails for extended periods while awaiting trial. Many migrants eventually pled guilty to expedite their release and were later deported by federal authorities.

This strategy may now influence the federal government’s approach, said Kristin Etter, director of policy and legal services at the Texas Immigration Law Council, a nonprofit advocacy group for immigrant rights.

“What Texas has done under Operation Lone Star is essentially a blueprint for rounding up immigrants, subjecting them to harsh conditions, offering minimal due process, and coercing them into accepting deportation,” she noted.

Earlier this year, Texas sought to expand local police authority by criminalizing unauthorized crossings into the state, not just trespassing on private property. Senate Bill 4 also empowered state police to instruct migrants to return to Mexico. This law was immediately challenged by the Biden administration and civil rights groups and is currently under a federal court review.

Even if the Trump administration were to drop the challenge, the legal battle over S.B. 4 may persist, as other private groups have joined the lawsuit. “The law is clearly unconstitutional and contradicts a century of legal precedent,” said Adriana Piñon, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which is part of the case.

Meanwhile, Texas has grown increasingly confident that its legal standing regarding border enforcement is about to improve. After the election, Governor Abbott extended a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass, suggesting that the federal government might withdraw its legal objections.

Although Texas’s migrant busing program — which had sent around 120,000 migrants to Democratic-run cities like Denver, New York, and Chicago — has slowed due to a drop in border crossings, immigrant advocates argue that it could be repurposed for deportations from inland cities.

“They could easily reverse the buses and send immigrants from liberal cities back to Texas,” said Etter. “The infrastructure is already in place.”

Alongside these efforts, Texas has launched new initiatives, such as a mounted police unit to patrol parts of the border on horseback.

However, some local law enforcement officials remain uncertain about the future of these efforts. Sheriff Tom Schmerber of Maverick County, which includes Eagle Pass, said he hasn’t seen preparations for any new border enforcement programs.

“Nothing, as far as I know,” Schmerber said. While he’s willing to cooperate with the Trump administration on deportations, he noted that the effort would require substantial federal funding.

“I don’t have the space in the county jail, and I don’t have enough deputies to handle immigration issues,” he said. “We don’t have the resources for that — not that I don’t want to help.”