US Border News Weekly Newsletter - (Volume 1- Number 4)
Trump's plans for "Mass Deportations" will lean heavily on Texas for success.
As we enter December, it’s becoming clear that Texas will play a big role in President-Elect Trump’s promise of “mass deportations” of people who illegally entered the United States (most of them via Mexico).
Not only does Texas share more of its border (1,254 miles) with Mexico than any other U.S. State - it is the only border state with a republican governor and state legislature - so Trump can expect cooperation instead of confrontation over his deportation measures - from the first day of his second term in office.
Texas has already offered - and Trump’s “Border Czar” Tom Homan has accepted - more than 1,400 acres of newly acquired state land in Starr County along the Rio Grande for use as a “mass deportation facility.”
On November 26, 2024, Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham told Homan the state is prepared to immediately offer additional public land for migrant detention and deportation facilities should they be needed:
“I will do everything in my power to help this administration and that is why I am announcing our offer has extended beyond this property. Should you need land for a facility elsewhere in the state for the deportation of violent criminals, my office has identified several of our properties and is standing by, ready to make this happen on day-one of his presidency.” - Texas Land Commissioner Dr. Dawn Buckingham
Additionally, when Homan joined Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week at the border to serve Thanksgiving meals to State Troopers and troops assigned to “Operation Lone Star” Border Security Mision, he said he’d like to duplicate it in other states along the Mexican Border:
"There is unprecedented success in Texas. This is the model we can take across the country. Everyone here needs to understand that you are national heroes and are saving the nation. What you have done has not only protected Texas and the citizens of Texas, you are protecting this nation." -Incoming U.S. "Border Czar" Tom Homan
Governor Abbott and President-Elect Trump have a close relationship (Trump said Abbott was on the short-list for Vice-President, but Abbott declined).
CNN has also cited “multiple sources” to report that one of Abbott’s Senior Advisors - Texas “Border Czar” Mike Banks is under consideration by Trump to head US Customs & Border Protection (CBP).
While Texas and the Trump Administration are on a path for a close partnership to implement the President-Elect’s immigration & deportation policies, that’s not the case in other border states - all with Democratic Governors - especially California.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California has called for a Spession Session of the State Legislature beginning on December 2, 2024, to "protect California values," including funding for legal services, planning, and coordination to respond to potential immigration raids.
"The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won't sit idle. California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared to fight in the courts, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive." -California Governor Gavin Newsom
New Mexico
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has stated that she will not comply with President-elect Trump's plans for mass deportations. She says New Mexico will immediately go to court if Trump declares a national emergency to use the military for deportations and is prepared to go to the Supreme Court if necessary.
Arizona
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs says the state will cooperate with the incoming Trump Administration to secure the border but draws the line at participating in “mass deportations:
“As governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those." -Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs
Incoming US Border Czar Tom Homan has said that those states that do not cooperate with the Trump Administration should expect to see their federal funding cut.
Should states that do not fully cooperate with Trump’s Immigration Policies & Deportation Efforts face funding cuts?
Share your opinion in the comments to this newsletter!
Abrazos,
Jack Beavers
