No other state has sided with Trump's immigration initiatives like Texas
SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
Many states are trying to keep pace with all of President Trump's executive actions related to immigration, but Texas has been gearing up for this moment for years. Texas has the second-largest population of people without legal status. It also has the largest border with Mexico, and the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, is helping the federal government launch what it's calling a historic crackdown on illegal immigration. This week, Abbott issued five executive orders that direct Texas to partner with the Trump administration. The Texas Newsroom's Ana Campbell has more.
ANA CAMPBELL, BYLINE: At a rally just after his inauguration, President Trump stood before a crowd of followers and praised a longtime ally who sat near the front row. As the president spoke, Greg Abbott smiled and gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We won the Texas border that had never been won, as the governor said - he's doing a good job, the governor, by the way, of Texas.
CAMPBELL: Trump and Abbott have worked closely for years. They've endorsed each other and supported their respective efforts to build a wall along the Texas-Mexico border. And as Trump follows through on a campaign promise to carry out mass deportations, Abbott has become his most eager partner on the border.
In 2021, Texas launched Operation Lone Star. The program basically lets Texas use state resources to enforce immigration laws, which have traditionally been enforced by the federal government. Katherine Hawkins is a legal analyst for the nonpartisan Project On Government Oversight. She says Texas is a sort of proving ground for other states that want to get tough on illegal immigration.
KATHERINE HAWKINS: Operation Lone Star has really laid the groundwork for a lot of what the administration is now doing on immigration.
CAMPBELL: This week, Abbott doubled down on using state resources to help the feds detain people in the country without legal status. He's sending 400 additional Texas National Guard troops to the border. He's ordered state police to help federal authorities detain unauthorized immigrants. He's adding things like buoys in the Rio Grande and more razor wire at the border, and he's directed state agencies to share any information they have about Mexican cartels with federal authorities. Here's Abbott talking about Trump on Fox News.
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GREG ABBOTT: He has a governor in a state, in Texas, that will be a partner with the Trump administration.
CAMPBELL: Some of the biggest cities in Texas have said they will follow the law but won't contribute to a climate of fear. Ron Nirenberg is the Democratic mayor of San Antonio, which Texas sued in 2017, alleging it violated the state's ban on sanctuary cities.
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RON NIRENBERG: San Antonio has always been a city that follows the law. We're also a compassionate city, and so we work with local law enforcement to - when requested, on detainers for violent criminals, but we also provide humanitarian assistance to people who need it in our communities. So...
CAMPBELL: Since Trump took office, ICE has detained at least a hundred people across the state. In response, advocacy groups have been hosting community meetings to inform people of their rights if they're approached by immigration authorities. According to a recent survey from the University of Houston, about 87% of Texans support deporting migrants who have been convicted of felonies, and 69% support creating more legal pathways to citizenship. For NPR News, I'm Ana Campbell in Austin.
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