Nations only exist to the extent that people recognize and adhere to the laws within. Likewise without recognition of the laws and
sovereignty of a nation, a border is nothing more than an imaginary line. Whether it be Danube River of ancient Rome or the Rio Grande
of modern Texas, borders exist to serve a purpose; to not secure those borders is to invite danger with destabilizing disastrous
consequences.
It is hard to watch the news and not hear reports of international cartel-gang activities, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and more
going on at the border. These illegal activities are not isolated to the Rio Grande Valley, what fails to be caught there winds its way north
and impacts other states and urban centers thousands of miles away from the southern border. The truth of the matter however is that this
is not a new crisis, this is the result of decades of failed federal policies compounding under just about every presidential administration.
All too often the federal government has either failed or neglected to enforce the laws over immigration and border security, that at best
allows for vulnerability and at worse a pathway for dangerous criminals to operate on both sides of the border and sew instability. While
the federal government’s record with the border is less than stellar, there is thankfully another option apart from simply hoping that the
feds would do their job: an Interstate Compact.
Interstate compacts exist as a tool that allows partnering states to work together in what may normally be the jurisdiction of the federal
government. These compacts are nothing new, or even rare. Texas is a member of many, such as the Pecos River Compact, Rio Grande
Interstate Compact, and the South Central Forest Fire Compact.
It is for this reason I have filed SB 1254, which would call upon the Governor to begin the process of Texas along with other partnering
states that choose to participate, with congressional approval, to take the necessary steps of securing operational control of our southern
border.
This is simply a tool for Texas and other states, who choose to participate, to step in where the federal government has failed. The exact
details of the compact would be determined by what the Governor and other states can agree too. Should Congress fail to approve the
compact within ten years of the Governor executing it, then it would not go into affect. There is no guarantee that congress would
approve, but as long as this exists as an option Texas should keep every potential tool on the table to ensure the safety of our citizens.