Texas Governor Greg Abbott has decided to take a proactive approach in dealing with the growing illegal immigration crisis on the border. This week, he announced the creation of a new position in his administration that will be dedicated solely to curbing this problem.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported an unprecedented number of unauthorized border crossings in the past month – reaching a staggering 251,487 encounters. This figure is the highest recorded since records began in 1992, pointing to a serious issue at the southern border of the United States.
Commenting on this situation, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said: “For nearly two years, the State of Texas has taken unprecedented, historic action under Operation Lone Star in response to the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border. To continue doing what no other state in the history of our country has done to secure the border, I hired Mike Banks as the State of Texas’ first-ever Border Czar.”
Governor Greg Abbott continued, saying: “As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas’ fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation. I have no doubt that Mike’s strong record of leadership and wealth of experience will provide Texans—and Americans—the level of border security expertise they deserve from a proper Border Czar.”
Mike Banks said: “Protecting our nation’s border is something I have dedicated the last 23 years of my life to, and I am very passionate about it. I look forward to strengthening our relationships with law enforcement partners and the community, leveraging all that we can to further protect our great state of Texas and the United States.”
