WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Texas has increased deployment of National Guard troops along the US-Mexico border and strengthened aerial observation missions in an attempt to stop illegal immigration, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a release.
"This action would not be necessary if the federal government fulfilled its obligation to secure our nation’s border," the release stated on Tuesday. "The problem is compounded by drug cartels and transnational gang enterprises that are involved in this illegal cross-border activity — including human smuggling.
Abbott’s plan additionally includes financial grants to support the Border Prosecution Unit and the re-urging of the Department of Homeland Security to increase border patrol agents in Texas.
"Despite the warning — followed by a phone discussion about the matter — my request for more border patrol agents and strategic resources to secure the border were ignored," Abbott added.
The Texas-Mexico border is crossed by thousands of illegal immigrants every year. About 11.7 million illegal immigrants reside in the United States, of which over 50 percent came from Mexico, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.
