RAICES Slams Gov. Abbott’s Unlawful Political Stunt, Calls for DOJ Intervention
In response to Texas Governor Abbott’s Executive Order issued yesterday authorizing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return undocumented immigrants to the southern border, RAICES released the following statement:
Abbott’s response to President Biden initiating some exemptions to Title 42 and ending Remain in Mexico is cruel and unacceptable. Once again, Greg Abbott has deployed another disgusting political stunt to dehumanize immigrants and stoke anti-immigrant fear and hate in order to score political points.
Abbott’s latest Executive Order increases the number of local Texas law enforcement officers now tasked with enforcing federal immigration law. Not only is this yet another example of Abbott’s overreach of power but it’s also a huge waste of state taxpayer dollars. Texans should not have to foot the bill for Abbott’s political games.
Abbott’s Executive Order is unlawful, and the Department of Justice needs to intervene by immediately and aggressively investigating Abbott’s Operation Lonestar program, its heinous civil rights violations, and the Governor’s overreach of power.
People are dying because of Abbott’s cruel and anti-immigrant policies. Just last week, tragedy struck our community in San Antonio where 53 immigrant lives were lost because of an immigration system that dehumanizes and criminalizes those who seek asylum within our borders. While our community mourned, Gov. Abbott blatantly weaponized this tragedy to push for the codification of Title 42 – which would inevitably put more human lives at risk of danger and death and make tragedies such as these a daily occurence. RAICES is fighting back to make sure that doesn’t happen.
The Biden administration – in coordination with local groups – can meet the needs at the border. Our country has the capacity and compassion to restore our asylum system for all people seeking safety, to strengthen and expand legal pathways for those fleeing persecution, torture, or war to seek protection, and to fulfill our promise to keep people safe and families together.
