7 more Texas counties declared incursions on the southern border, bringing the total to 17 | National news

To date, 17 Texas counties have officially declared the invasion, while two judges from other counties have expressed support for the invasion declaration, but their commissioners have not.

The judges and commissioners who signed the declarations or resolutions of invasion represent the counties of Atascosa, Chambers, Edwards, Ellis, Goliad, Hardin, Johnson, Keeney, Liberty, Live Oak, Orange, Parker, Presidio, Terrell, Tyler, Wilson and Wise.

The the first to announce an invasion on the southern border were Kinney, Goliath, TerrellEdwards and Presidio counties and the city of Uvalde on July 5.

County Judge Jeff Davis initially declared the invasion illegal, but county commissioners did not support it. On August 9, a Rockwall County judge signed a disaster declaration saying its residents are “under immediate threat of disaster due to unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug smuggling crossing the US border from Mexico.” But it was only good for 7 days, and the court did not consider the case at the next two sessions, his assistant confirmed to “Central Square”.

While some reported that Val Verde and Zavala counties had declared an incursion, they only declared a disaster, as did several counties, allowing them to receive state funding for law enforcement activities as part of Operation Lone Star.

Zavala County’s July 2021 disaster declaration remains in effect. It said the county “is under imminent threat of disaster from the human trafficking that occurs at our border with Mexico. The ongoing border crisis has resulted in thousands of undocumented aliens bringing our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to a standstill. This has resulted in property damage to the residents of Zavala County and concerns for the health and safety of residents.”

Over the past few weeks, judges and district commissioners in Atascosa, Live oakparker, Tylerand Wise counties signed resolutions on the invasion. More recently, judges and commissioners in Chambers, Hardin, Liberty, and Orange counties (August 23) and Wilson County (August 22) also signed similar resolutions on the invasion, calling for “further measures to secure the border, stop the invasion of the southern border, and protect our communities.”

The counties state that they recognize that “our southern border of Texas is under invasion” and affirm the “sovereign and unilateral power expressly vested in the states respectively under Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution and Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution to defend themselves from an invasion made worse by the federal government’s failure to fulfill its constitutional obligations to “maintain the domestic tranquility,” “provide for the common defense,” “enforce the laws,” and “protect each state against invasion.” »

They also expressed support for Abbott’s actions to secure the border through Operation Lone Star and urged him to expand his powers “available under Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution and Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution.”

Johnson and Ellis County officials signed the invasion resolutions on August 8 and August 23, respectively.

Johnson County’s resolution states that “the health, safety and welfare of the people of Texas are at immediate risk due to the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug smuggling crossing the US border from Mexico.” It quotes a record number foreign nationals who have entered the US illegally since Biden took office (nearly 5 million), including known terrorists, and “the unprecedented volume of human trafficking, smuggling of fentanyl and other opioids entering our border.”

These factors “constitute an invasion of the state of Texas,” the resolution says, and calls on Abbott “as commander-in-chief of the state’s armed forces” to take “necessary measures to preserve and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Texas.” It also encourages him to act “pursuant to the constitutional authority granted to him by Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution and Article 1, Section 10, Section 3 of the United States Constitution, to immediately prevent and/or remove all illegal aliens who encroach upon sovereignty of Texas and the United States.”

Ellis County also expressed support for Abbott to “take the necessary steps to stop the chaos at our border.” The resolution states that “the health, safety, and welfare of the people of Texas are at immediate risk due to the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling crossing the U.S. border from Mexico.”

He also cited the record number of foreign nationals who have illegally entered Texas and the United States since Biden was in office, and stated that “the ongoing immigration crisis at the Texas border is unacceptable and may constitute an intrusion that has resulted in a security threat. and a humanitarian disaster with staggering consequences for the people of Texas.”

Ellis County also urged Abbott to “act in accordance with the constitutional authority granted to hm under Article 4, Section 7 of the United States Constitution” and as Commander-in-Chief of the State of Texas to take “all necessary and lawful measures to preserve and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Texas.” . His resolution also asks him to “act in accordance with the constitutional authority granted to him by Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution and Article 1, Section 10, Section 3 of the United States Constitution to immediately prevent and/or remove all trespassers countries. as an attack on the sovereignty of Texas and the United States.’