Governor Greg Abbott, earlier this week announced that the state of Texas will have its first-ever Border Czar to be over border matters and report directly to the Governor. The Border Czar will be over border security in Texas, preventing illegal immigration, developing strategies in the face of migrant surges, and coordinating with Texas DPS and the Texas Military Department.
“Combating illegal immigration in Texas, is a full-time job,” said the Governor. “It’s a job that requires a leader, whose only focus is responding to President Biden’s open border policies. Today I am announcing a border Czar to fulfill that mission.”
Mike Banks has been tapped as the Special Advisor on Border Matters to the Governor. “I am humbled to be selected by Governor Abbott for this opportunity,” said Border Czar Banks. “Protecting our nation’s border is something I have dedicated the last 23 years of my life to, and I am very passionate about it. I look forward to strengthening our relationships with law enforcement partners and the community, leveraging all that we can to further protect our great state of Texas and the United States.”
This new Border Czar would be based in Weslaco, TX, and travel on the border as necessary. Banks is a former Border Patrol Agent and federal law enforcement officer. His previous work history has been:
- Acting Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement Operational Programs at the US Border Patrol headquarters in Washington, D.C.
- Border Patrol McAllen Station Patrol Agent in Charge
- Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector Executive Officer and Acting Division Chief
- U.S. Navy Military Police
The Border Czar will also oversee the Governor’s plan to build a border wall along Texas and Mexico. That’s over a thousand miles. “Building a border wall, and adding hundreds of miles of other barriers, is only one way Texas is responding to President Biden’s refusal to enforce the immigration laws of the United States of America,” said Governor Abbott.
Texas has aggressively tackled the border crisis by sending hundreds of personnel from Texas DPS and the Texas Military Department. Governor Abbott has even invoked the invasion clause of the US Constitution and the Texas Constitution. Furthermore, he has become notorious for sending tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities in Washington D.C., New York, and Chicago. Abbott has committed over 4 billion to his Operation Lonestar which started in the year 2021.
Abbott has become a public figure against President Joe Biden over the border crisis. Governor Abbott has claimed that President Biden has done little to nothing to secure the border.
“For nearly two years, the State of Texas has taken unprecedented, historic action under Operation Lone Star in response to the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” said Governor Abbott. “To continue doing what no other state in the history of our country has done to secure the border, I hired Mike Banks as the State of Texas first-ever Border Czar. As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas’ fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation.”
When President Biden traveled to El Paso to see the border, Governor Abbott handed him a letter, addressing what he needs to do that is under federal law.