Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill on Monday that makes it a crime to illegally enter the state, giving state officials more power to take steps to secure the border amid the ongoing illegal immigration crisis.
The law comes as millions of illegal immigrants have been released into the U.S. under President Joe Biden, with many making their way through the Texas-Mexico border. Abbott has bussed tens of thousands of illegal immigrants across the country in response and has fought with the Biden administration over putting up barriers to deter illegal crossings.
“Four years ago, the United States had the fewest illegal border crossings in decades,” Abbott said at a signing ceremony for three border security related bills. “It was because of four policies put in place by the Trump Administration that led to such a low number of illegal crossings. President Biden has eliminated all of those policies and done nothing to halt illegal immigration. President Biden’s deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself.”
