Lt. Governor Patrick on Border Security



 

AUSTIN – Today, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick held a press conference where he announced an update on border security priorities in the senate.

“Since deploying the national guard and increasing our Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers on the border last summer, we have seen a significant decline in the number of apprehensions,” said Patrick. “However, the latest intelligence from our law enforcement clearly states our border is still not secure.

“Our National Guard troops must stay to protect our border. I did not support removing the guard in March and we cannot afford to pull back now.

“We have identified $12 million dollars to keep the guard funded until the end of May. This will give us time to work on getting a supplemental bill to further and permanently fund our law enforcement along the border.

“While securing the border is a responsibility of Washington, DC, it is still a Texas problem.

“That’s why the Senate budget that was put forth earlier this session will continue to fund the guard for the next two years and provide funding for DPS at the highest levels in history to protect our border,” concluded Patrick.

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