The Texas National Guard has begun installing layers of razor wire in high-traffic areas for illegal crossings along the border with Mexico.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday tweeted images of the National Guard installing loops of the razor wire, writing "They're working around the clock to secure the border in the federal government's absence."
Texas has boosted border security efforts under "Operation Lone Star," which was launched in March to stop a surge of illegal crossings and flow of illegal drugs from Mexico. Abbott has called out the Biden administration and Congress for their failures to properly address the crisis.
"Until Congress acts or the Biden administration does its constitutionally required job, Texas Guardsmen and Troopers must bear the burden of securing the border," Abbott wrote in a November letter to the heads of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department. "You must continue to keep Texans and Americans safe and protect against an invasion of the southern border.
"I order you to use all resources and tools available to repel immigrants from attempting to cross illegally, arrest those who cross illegally and return them to the border, and arrest criminals who violate Texas law."
The state said in a news release Thursday that Operation Lone Star has led to more than 336,000 migrant apprehensions and more than 23,000 criminal arrests, with more than 20,000 felony charges reported. The Texas Department of Public Safety has seized more than 354 million lethal doses of fentanyl during the operation.
Texas also has bused more than 16,000 migrants to sanctuary cities such as Washington, New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. On Christmas Eve, three busloads of migrants from Texas arrived near the Washington home of Vice President Kamala Harris.
"She should have invited them in, and they should have started a nice soup and kitchen food line in her residence there … she could have taken care of them for a while and actually given them a wonderful Christmas," Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., told Newsmax on Dec. 26.
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