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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Transnational cartels are exploiting weak and |
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unsecure points along the United States Southern Border to expand |
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their criminal enterprises and terrorize Americans; and |
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WHEREAS, 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl were seized by |
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U.S. authorities in 2022, enough to kill every American man, woman, |
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and child; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas is charged with protecting its |
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citizens and is empowered to defend itself against invasion under |
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Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution; and |
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WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution |
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states that the Governor of Texas "shall be Commander-in-Chief of |
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the military forces of the State" and has the power to organize |
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armed forces to "repel invasions"; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States Federal Government is charged, in |
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the United States Constitution, to "provide for the common defense" |
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and protect its States "against invasion" under the Preamble and |
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Article IV, Section 4, respectively; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas has spent $4 billion on border |
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initiatives in the 2021-2022 biennium, investing in |
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state-of-the-art detection equipment, a border wall, and calling up |
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tens of thousands of members of National and State Guard units; and |
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WHEREAS, Operation Lone Star's multi-agency effort has led to |
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over 352,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 23,000 |
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criminal arrests; and |
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WHEREAS, Both human and drug trafficking by transnational |
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cartels have created a security threat and humanitarian disaster by |
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terrorizing residents of the United States and the State of Texas; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Four United States citizens were kidnapped by a |
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cartel abroad in early March 2023, two of them brutally murdered; |
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unfortunately, the tragic incident was not isolated, and violence |
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permeates any area these transnational cartels inhabit; and |
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WHEREAS, The continual violation of Texas' sovereignty and |
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territorial integrity has resulted in reports of residents of Texas |
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being assaulted, threatened with violence, and robbed; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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3rd Called Session, hereby declare an invasion by transnational |
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cartel terrorists under Article I, Section 10 of the United States |
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Constitution and Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Legislature ask Governor Abbott to |
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accelerate the construction of a wall along the Southern Border, |
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utilizing Eminent Domain where necessary, to prevent the entrance |
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of transnational cartels into the state; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Legislature demand that the U.S. Congress |
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recognize its obligation under the U.S. Constitution to "provide |
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for the common defense" by voting to deploy U.S. military forces to |
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combat transnational cartels; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Legislature demand that the federal |
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government allocate more financial support to Texas' border |
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security wall and reimburse Texas for past expenditures on security |
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efforts to repel invaders at its Southern Border; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas Secretary of State forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to |
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the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all members |
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of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that this |
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resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |