Governor Greg Abbott said he's stepping up enforcement at the border by launching "Operation Lone Star." He claims there's a surge of migrants at the Mexican border and they are being brought in by drug cartels.
"The cartels, they are involved in every single one of these border crossings we see,” said Abbott.
Critics said this is political rhetoric. They said the majority of people coming across are women and children fleeing from violence in Central America.
DHS officials said on Feb. 9, 1,000 unaccompanied children and teens crossed into the United States.
Domingo Garcia, national president of LULAC said Abbott is using this issue to score political points.
“It’s all big lie repeated over and over again in order to justify getting elected in an election year. It's just all a publicity stunt,” said Garcia.
Abbott said he is sending in hundreds of National Guard members to help Border Patrol agents stop the flow of migrants. The governor claims they are overwhelming local residents.
"You got business owners, you got homeowners whose lives are being completely disrupted, and the Biden Administration does not care about those ranchers,” said Abbott.
Garcia said there is no crisis at the border and that what people are seeing are thousands of refugees stuck in tents waiting months for immigration hearings. He said it was former President Trump’s policies that are to blame, and the governor supported them.
"He's been the governor for over eight years, and he has yet to deal, in a positive way, on how to deal with the issue of immigration,” said Garcia.
Abbott also claims there needs to be more detention facilities and has a stern warning for migrants who are thinking of crossing illegally.
"Texas is sending a strong warning to any caravan or cartel member. We’re ready,” said Abbott.
"They are using immigrants as political piñatas to get votes,” said Garcia.
The governor also demanded that President Biden send vaccines, so Border Patrol agents can get vaccinated.
“The Biden Administration should send vaccines to Texas, to all men and women on the Border Patrol this week, and ensure that every Border Patrol officer in the State of Texas will be vaccinated this week. Anything less than that is the epitome of inhumanity,” said Abbott.
Garcia said the governor has stopped working with the federal government to get vaccines to federal workers. He also said former President Trump did not designate Border Patrol agents as essential, slowing down their vaccinations.
“So, he can’t say we don’t want federal help, we don’t need vaccines, and then complain the Border Patrol agents are not being vaccinated. That’s hypocrisy,” said Garcia.