While in Brownsville on Monday afternoon, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law three border security bills that came as result of the most recent special legislative sessions. They included Senate Bill 3, and Senate Bill 4, which has two parts to it.
First up was SB3, which adds $1.54 billion in money to build more wall and barriers along the border.
"Texas has already completed more than 16 miles of wall and have more than 33 miles of wall under construction...in addition,110 miles of razor wire barrier have been laid out," he said. "The law I am about to sign will fund many more miles of wall and barriers just like this."
SB3 also includes over $40 million for the Texas Department of Public Safety. Abbott noted that the number of smuggler arrests went up from 370 in 2017, to now over 7,000 in 2023.
Also signed into law was SB4, which provides a variety of things. The biggest part of the bill is the imposed penalties for human smugglers who use stash houses. The new law slams down a 10-year minimum sentence on smugglers, with 5-year minimum for operating a stash house.
Abbott says this issue reached beyond the cartels.
"Many Texas residents are doing this...cartels advertise on Tik Tok, enticing residents to make a quick buck," he said.
The other part of SB4 includes prison sentences for any person that crosses into Texas illegally from a foreign nation.
"For repeat offenders...with illegal entry...that comes with a potential sentence of up to 20 years," Abbott said. "The bill provides a mechanism for the illegal immigrant to also return to the nation from which they entered."
Speaking alongside Abbott was Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who praised the bills, but also called on the President to make some changes.
"President Biden could give everyone a great Christmas present, doing an about-face, and shutting down the border now...lives depend on it," he said.
Abbott also thanked all the sponsors of both bills, and for getting them passed in the legislature.