Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed his state’s first “border czar,” during a news conference in San Benito, Texas, Monday.
Abbott chose Mike Banks for the role, which solely entails combatting the destruction he says the federal government has caused. President Joe Biden has overseen record surges in illegal migration at the southern border, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recording more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2022.
“Texas, we’re standing not idly by while the Biden administration refuses to enforce our immigration laws,” Abbott said of Banks, who retired from his post as a more than 20-year Border Patrol agent roughly 10 days ago.
“He has a proven record of going toe to toe with the cartels and winning. Now, he will bring that winning record to help protect Texas from Biden’s open border policies,” Abbott said.
In his new position, Banks will oversee the construction of new portions of the border wall, Abbott said. He will also coordinate with state authorities and landowners.
Read the full story here.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.