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SENATE RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas and the United States federal |
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government are charged with protecting 1,254 miles of land along |
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Texas' border with Mexico, a job that has become increasingly |
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violent as this state has succumbed to an invasion by foreign |
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drug cartels; and |
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WHEREAS, These foreign drug cartels bring terror to Texas |
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communities by flooding the streets with deadly narcotics, |
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forcing women and children into human and sex trafficking, |
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enriching themselves on the misery and enslavement of Texans, and |
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butchering and murdering anyone who tries to stop them; and |
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WHEREAS, In fiscal year 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border |
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Protection reports over 172,000 pounds of illegal narcotics have |
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been seized from foreign drug cartels in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Specifically, federal seizures of fentanyl in |
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Texas have dramatically increased by more then 750 percent this |
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fiscal year; and |
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WHEREAS, In fiscal year 2021, the U.S. Border Patrol has |
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already arrested more than 5,800 noncitizens that were |
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determined to have prior criminal records; and |
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WHEREAS, The Office of the Texas Attorney General |
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estimates that there are 234,000 victims of labor trafficking and |
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79,000 victims of youth and minor sex trafficking at any given |
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time in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, State and local law enforcement agencies are |
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forced to contend with extensive and dangerous criminal activity |
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resulting from, or associated with, foreign drug cartels, |
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thereby putting Texas law enforcement officials in danger and |
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draining resources away from protecting our communities; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas has attempted to address the |
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problem by adding hundreds of commissioned law enforcement |
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officers to the border, purchasing state-of-the-art helicopters, |
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conducting border security surge operations, and paying millions |
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of dollars for overtime, training, equipment, and technology for |
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local law enforcement; and |
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WHEREAS, Law enforcement agencies working together in |
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Texas have seized billions of dollars in illegal drugs and |
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hundreds of millions in cash, along with thousands of firearms, |
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and weapons, all related to the invasion of drug cartels; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas has repeatedly asked the federal government |
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to send more border security resources to the state, requesting |
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an increase in manpower of border patrol agents and the |
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deployment of National Guard troops; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas prisons house violent offenders that claim |
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foreign citizenship, and the state bears the cost of housing and |
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prosecuting those offenders; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas taxpayers have spent billions compensating |
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for the lack of federal resources provided to the state; and |
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WHEREAS, The inability of the federal government to |
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develop a comprehensive plan that would address this border |
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security problem puts an unfair and unreasonable burden on the |
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entire state, but in particular on Texas border communities; and |
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WHEREAS, Under Article I, Section 10 of the United States |
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Constitution, Texas is entitled as a sovereign state of the |
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United States of America to protect itself against this current |
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foreign drug cartel invasion, which grants the State of Texas the |
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power to defend the state when the state has been invaded, or is |
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"in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay"; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of 87th Texas Legislature hereby |
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respectfully request the federal government to immediately |
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declare violent foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist |
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organizations under Section 219 of the Immigration and |
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Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1189; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Senate hereby find that the State |
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of Texas has been invaded by foreign drug cartels and that the |
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citizens of this state are in danger of irreparable harm; and, be |
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it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Senate hereby encourage the Texas |
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Military Department and all applicable state resources as |
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needed, to use any and all authority under Article I, Section 10 |
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of the United States Constitution to repel this violent foreign |
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drug cartel invasion, and that such authority should be invoked |
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with the intention of utilizing such authority in the most |
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peaceful manner possible consistent with bringing this invasion |
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to a conclusion at the earliest possible moment. |