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CONCURRENT 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 drug |
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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, forcing |
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women and children into human and sex trafficking, enriching |
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themselves on the misery and enslavement of Texans, and butchering |
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and murdering anyone who tries to stop them; and |
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WHEREAS, State and local law enforcement agencies are forced |
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to contend with extensive and dangerous criminal activity resulting |
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from, or associated with, foreign drug cartels, thereby putting |
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Texas law enforcement officials in danger and draining resources |
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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 officers |
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to the border, purchasing state-of-the-art helicopters, conducting |
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border security surge operations, and paying millions of dollars |
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for overtime, training, equipment, and technology for local law |
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enforcement; and |
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WHEREAS, Law enforcement agencies working together in Texas |
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have seized billions of dollars in illegal drugs and hundreds of |
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millions in cash, along with thousands of firearms, and weapons, |
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all related to the invasion of drug cartels; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas has repeatedly asked the federal government to |
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send more border security resources to the state, requesting an |
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increase in manpower of border patrol agents and the deployment of |
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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 develop a |
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comprehensive plan that would address this border security problem |
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puts an unfair and unreasonable burden on the entire state, but in |
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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 United |
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States of America to protect itself against this current foreign |
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drug cartel invasion; this constitutional authority grants the |
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State of Texas the power to defend the state when the state has been |
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invaded, or is "in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay"; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Governor, in a letter to the President of the |
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United States on November 16, 2022, invoked the authority under |
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Article I, Section 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, to protect |
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the State of Texas; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby demand the federal government to immediately declare violent |
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foreign drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations under |
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Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. § 1189; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby find that the |
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State 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 it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Legislature hereby encourage all |
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applicable state and local resources as needed, to use any and all |
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authority under Article I, Section 10 of the United States |
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Constitution to repel this violent foreign drug cartel invasion, |
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and that such authority should be invoked with the intention of |
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utilizing such authority in the most peaceful manner possible |
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consistent with bringing this invasion to a conclusion at the |
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earliest possible moment. |