Gov. Abbott to Focus on Stopping NGOs from Helping Illegal Cross the Border

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today called for an investigation into the role non-governmental organizations (NGOs) may have in planning and assisting illegal border crossings into Texas. In a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Governor highlights the need for Texas' vigilant response to President Biden's border crisis, with the end of Title 42 just days away and record-high illegal border crossings along the Texas-Mexico border.

“There have been recent reports that non-governmental organizations may have assisted with illegal border crossings near El Paso,” reads the letter. “We further understand NGOs may be engaged in unlawfully orchestrating other border crossings through activities on both sides of the border, including in sectors other than El Paso. In light of these reports, I am calling on the Texas Attorney General’s Office to initiate an investigation into the role of NGOs in planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders. In addition, I stand ready to work with you to craft any sensible legislative solutions your office may propose that are aimed at solving the ongoing border crisis and the role that NGOs may play in encouraging it.”

The end of Title 42 in the coming weeks is expected to cause a dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrants crossing America's southern border beyond the all-time high levels currently reported. This past Sunday, more than 2,600 illegal immigrants crossed the border near El Paso and illegally entered Texas over a 24-hour timespan.

Read Governor Abbott's letter to the Texas Attorney General.

Governor Abbott has taken unprecedented action to secure the border in the wake of the federal government’s inaction, including:

• Securing $4 billion in funding for Texas' border security efforts
• Launching Operation Lone Star and deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers
• Taking aggressive action to aid border communities, including busing thousands of migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia
• Designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations to keep Texans safe amid the growing national fentanyl crisis
• Arresting and jailing criminals trespassing or committing other state crimes along the southern border
• Issuing an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return illegal immigrants to the border at ports of entry
• Allocating resources to acquire 1,700 unused steel panels to build the border wall in Texas
• Signing a law to make it easier to prosecute smugglers bringing people into Texas
• Signing 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking in Texas
• Signing a law enhancing penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl
• Issuing a disaster declaration for the border crisis
• Issuing an executive order preventing non-governmental entities from transporting illegal immigrants
• Signing memoranda of understanding between the State of Texas and the States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to enhance border security measures in their states that will prevent illegal immigration from Mexico to Texas
• Activating the Joint Border Security Operations Center (JBSOC) and directing the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Military Department, and Texas Division of Emergency Management to coordinate Texas’ response to secure the border