Gov. Greg Abbott's rule imposing safety inspections at the border did 'nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigration or illegal drugs,' Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told NPR.
Abbott had toutedas a crackdown on drug smuggling and human trafficking. But Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who like Abbott is a Republican, says the inspections did"nothing to stop the flow of illegal immigration or illegal drugs. I mean, absolutely zero."
That's because Abbott's inspections looked only at basic vehicle safety, such as the trucks' tires and brakes and lights — not their contents, Miller told"The governor's people have no authority to open the trucks," Miller said. Instead, he said, every truck undergoes inspections by federal and state agricultural agencies, as well as Customs and Border Protection.
The border inspections' final political tally remains unknown — but in recent days, their stark economic costs have come into focus. "The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis firm based in Waco, estimated that total losses to the state were $470 million per day in what trade groups called 'a supply chain crisis,'"TPR reports."You're already seeing things like bananas, avocados, lemons and limes" going up in price, he said, adding that the border crisis has been compounded by a shipping crisis.
Abbott's order drew broad criticism on both sides of the border; many accused him of using the inspections as an attention-getting stunt for his reelection campaign. He lifted the order after the leaders of Mexican states across the border signed agreements that Abbott says will bolster border security. But as TPR notes, some of those stipulations were already in place before the inspections.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Beto O’ Rourke unleashes fresh attack on Gov. Greg Abbott over soaring Texas property taxesToday BetoORourke held a news conference in South Oak Cliff to discuss his plan to provide residential property tax relief by pushing the Legislature to expand Medicaid and legalize marijuana. Read more:
Read more »
Gov. Greg Abbott's slowdown of trucks at Texas border cost U.S. economy $9 billion, economist saysTexas alone lost some $4.23 billion in gross product, according to the new economic analysis. Texas GregAbbott TexasRepublicans Border shipping supplychain TexasPolitics
Read more »
Cruz splits with Abbott in his endorsements for Texas House runoffsU.S. Sen. Ted Cruz appears to be flexing his well-documented affinity for candidates who support school choice while Gov. Greg Abbott’s picks are largely seen as the more mainstream Republicans in each matchup. Via TexasTribune.
Read more »
Gov. Abbott threatens to shut down border trade with Mexico againGov. Greg Abbott is threatening to reinstate aggressive truck safety inspections at the...
Read more »
Economist says Gov. Abbott’s border inspections lost Texas $4.2 billion and 36,000 jobsLong wait lines for trucks at the border after Gov. Greg Abbott ordered increased inspections cost Texas more than $4.2 billion in gross domestic product and...
Read more »
Pushing for “school choice,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz splits with Gov. Greg Abbott in his endorsements for Texas House runoffsTypically political allies, two of the state’s top Republicans have endorsed different candidates in six GOP primary runoff races.
Read more »