By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) testified before the Texas House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, sharing concerns about the ongoing crisis at the Texas-Mexico border.
During the interim session, state lawmakers are studying the issue to prepare for the next legislative session that gavels in January 2023.
“The crisis at the Texas-Mexico border is a critical issue that is negatively impacting the families and livelihoods of those farming, ranching and living along the border,” TFB District 13 State Director Brian Jones said. “As the crisis continues, we are disappointed in the lack of action from the federal government in putting forth solutions that would address this problem.”
Jones noted that farmers and ranchers have faced threats to themselves, their families and their employees.
“Over the last several years, farmers and ranchers throughout South Texas have increasingly encountered tragic situations of finding dead bodies on their property, having vehicles broken into or stolen, facing home break-ins or being faced with armed individuals crossing through their land,” he said. “Often, this occurs in rural remote locations with no cell phone service and law enforcement being an hour away, at best.”
Another concern shared by farmers and ranchers along the border is the damage to fields and farming infrastructure such as fences, watering equipment and other machinery and farm equipment.
“Law enforcement or border patrol personnel must often engage in high-speed car chases of illegal migrants,” Jones said. “To get away from authorities, sometimes immigrants will drive through agricultural property, damaging fences and fields. Similar disturbances occur by those who cross by foot with reports of cut fences and broken watering troughs. When these instances occur, farmers must quickly make repairs and, unfortunately, incur significant ongoing costs in the process.”
The crisis along the U.S-Mexico border threatens their personal safety, overwhelms local resources and causes serious financial hardship and disruption.
“The current situation on our nation’s border is unsustainable for hardworking farm and ranch families who work to feed and clothe the world,” Jones said. “It is critically important for the federal government to recognize the seriousness of the issue and develop a plan to stop the drastic increase in illegal immigration, which is posing a major risk to our state and nation.”
TFB continues to advocate for a long-term solution to the illegal immigration crisis that will effectively help farmers and ranchers in border towns and counties.
For more information on border security impacts, visit TFB’s webpage at texasfarmbureau.org/border-crisis-impacts.