FAIR WARNING: Governor Medina Will Secure the Texas Border

HOUSTON, TX, Tuesday, January 12, 2010 – Debra Medina, Republican Candidate for Governor today released her plan for securing the Texas border in a joint press conference with the U.S. Border Watch. 

"Failure to enforce state and federal laws has contributed to abuse of property and humanity all along the Texas border. We can no longer turn a blind eye on the situation and will, in order to protect our citizens and their property, take matters into our own hands to insure peace and protection along the Texas border," stated Medina.

Medina has engaged in discussions with border sheriffs and will work closely with them to complement their efforts. U.S. Border Watch has recently endorsed Debra Medina stating, "U.S. Border Watch is deeply concerned about the lack of progress being made from both Washington DC and Austin, TX in securing our borders from drug smugglers, terrorists and illegal immigrants. The two candidates for the Republican nomination for Governor who currently hold elected offices (that of Senator and Governor) have repeatedly made promises and then turned their backs on these issues or completely reversed their campaign promises. They have consistently failed to protect the rule of law and the citizens of this great state."

"Medina knows the U.S. and Texas Constitutions and the power that lies in the rule of law. This is, after all is said and done, a rule of law issue. Debra Medina has the courage to enforce those laws that protect the people and the property of Texas from the ravages of an unsecured border."

Recent reports by the Texas Department of Public Safety document increased efforts by drug cartels on both sides of the border to "co-opt our children to support their criminal operations."ⁱ These reports provide even more evidence that Texas must act and must act now to protect her citizens and their children.  Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety recently commented, "The concern is that the gangs are now being used by the cartels on both sides of the border for hit squads, human smuggling and counter surveillance."ⁱⁱ

"Citizens have been seriously disappointed by the campaign double-speak from both Senator Hutchison and Governor Perry on this issue. We’ve heard their rhetoric. It’s time to get serious about protecting the Texas border. Debra is the only one who will take bold and decisive action to secure the Texas border," said campaign manager Penny Freeman. 

Medina’s plan to secure the border includes: 

• Calling sufficient numbers of Texas National Guard and Texas State Guard members to active duty to support local law enforcement particularly along areas in between legal ports of entry to combat drug and human trafficking;
• Notifying Mexican authorities that the Texas Border will be secure and no entry will be allowed without proper documentation;
• Insuring that Texas District Attorneys and Texas Attorney General exercise full prosecutorial power and have sufficient resources to enforce human slavery and child labor laws to their fullest extent;
• Assisting local and state law enforcement in deporting individuals convicted of violating state or federal law;
• Insuring that private citizens have the ability to protect themselves and their property without fear;
• Insuring that the interests of Texans are protected by seeking legislation and enforcement actions that respect Texas sovereignty in the face of international treaties, like NAFTA, that violate Texas state sovereignty; These treaties create poverty in Mexico and Central America and benefit corporate investors. This poverty drives people to migrate north. Insuring that the interests of Texans are protected, Debra Medina will interpose, support nullification and declare unconstitutional all international treaties that violate Texas state sovereignty.  We will not recognize those treaties or enforce their regulation or taxation.
• Eliminating social incentives to illegal immigration by seeking legislation prohibiting use of state funds for service or benefit of illegal aliens.   

"This is a decisive plan that makes sense to the citizens of Texas—Anglo and Mexican American alike.  But common sense is in short supply in Austin and Washington and our current governor and ranking senator have had long enough to enforce our current immigration laws or find new solutions," stated Freeman.  "They have been insulated from the problems facing We Texans for way too long. Debra is the only candidate who truly cares about We Texans and will act to protect Texas." 

ⁱ _{DPS Warns Parents: Mexican Cartels and Gangs Recruiting in Texas Schools.  Texas Department of Public Safety Information for the News Media, Nov. 17, 2009}

ⁱⁱ _{Trahan, Jason.  "Mexican Drug Cartels Recruiting Texas Teens, State Warns" Dallas Morning News, Nov. 18, 2009}

Texas and our nation have been richly blessed by immigrants from every land, race, and culture.  It is their assimilation into our uniquely American culture that has formed us into “one nation, under God” and made America the envy of the world.  Embracing those willing to work hard for a better life has strengthened us as a nation and a state, deepened our sense of national pride, and promoted ingenuity and our tremendous economic success.  On balance, Texas and America have been good to immigrants, and immigrants have been good for us.

Following our initial birth pains, Texas has historically been a great neighbor to Mexico.  In recent years, however, Texans are increasingly concerned about the impact the ongoing flood of illegal immigration is having on our communities, our schools, and our state. Most of us could write our own personal impact story describing how we’ve been affected by the illegal activity associated with the border.  Failing to address the issue by developing specific and just interventions to insure the protection of Texas and limit the flagrant violation of our laws has created a volatile situation in our state. We desire cooperation from Mexico to resolve these problems, but Mexico should not shoulder all the blame.  Our elected officials have been essentially ignoring our border for more than a decade.

Unfortunately, our failure to enforce our own laws has led to economic catastrophes for many segments of our society.  Ignoring immigration law has resulted in invasion rather than immigration, and our officials have reacted not by addressing the core problems, but by adding more and more government.  The majority of immigrants who are now here illegally have that status because the immigration process is no longer a process at all, but another example of runaway government red tape and bureaucracy. Individuals must be held accountable for their actions, and those who break our laws and violate our sovereignty cannot get a free pass, regardless of their circumstances.  But coming to the greatest state of the greatest country in the world should still inspire hope, not fear. It should mean dealing with the world’s most efficient immigration system, not a more sinister version of the DMV. 

Mass illegal immigration will no doubt continue to threaten the physical and economic stability and security of Texas and the United States if we do not get serious about fixing the border problem, to say nothing of the continuing deterioration of our relationship with Mexico.  Our nation has a right to set limits and enforce our laws, but so does our state. Cultures need time to assimilate, and no nation or state -- not even a state with the resources of Texas -- can bear the cost of free mass medical services for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from another nation or free education for thousands of their youth. We need to be able to differentiate between what we owe a legal guest and what can be expected by someone who has violated our laws. I will work with the state legislature and the Texas delegation in the federal legislature and urge the Attorney General to advocate through the courts if necessary to see that Texans can make those distinctions. 

So what is the root of the problem with the current state of immigration in Texas—and the solution to that problem?  We need to hold individuals accountable on the one hand while making sure our system itself is reasonable. The right economic incentives will be good for immigrant labor who have followed the law, and often only desire temporary employment, as well as foreign business people who wish to trade with Texas.  We need to make sure that we only have a positive impact on retail tourism, whether we are talking about a Mexican family on a shopping spree in Dallas or a Matamoras businessman who wants to buy a plumbing part and stop for a burger in Brownsville. As governor, I will work for measures to reduce social and welfare enticements for illegal immigration and to increase border sheriffs and border patrol when necessary, while making sure legitimate commerce and travel are uninterrupted.

We need real economic solutions to address illegal immigration, plain and simple. My campaign is hard at work looking beyond the same answers our elected officials have put forth which have only worsened the situation.  I know in Texas we can have a better balance between our respect for people and our responsibility toward civil society. If you don’t believe me, then ask yourself if our border is better off today than it was ten years ago?  The same old solutions from the same old politicians just will not solve the problem.

Debra Medina

Republican Candidate for Governor of Texas