Pfluger, Jackson introduce legislation to prohibit a Remain-in-Texas policy

Nov. 14—WASHINGTON, D.C. — Reps. August Pfluger (TX-11) and Ronny Jackson (TX-13) introduced legislation to prohibit a Remain-in-Texas policy for illegal aliens who cross the border. The Biden administration is reportedly seeking to implement policies that would force migrants to remain in Texas while awaiting asylum screening. This bill would prohibit Secretary Mayorkas from implementing or enforcing this policy.

"Texans will not stand for any Remain-in-Texas plan from the Biden Administration to force our state to bear the brunt of the President's self-made border crisis. Liberal sanctuary cities like New York that openly obstruct federal immigration laws and have policies in place to shield criminals from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should not be immune to the crisis at our border. Biden's Remain-in-Texas policy must remain in the trash can," Pfluger said in a news release.

"Democrat mayors that once relished in providing sanctuary cities for illegal aliens are now seeing the pain and destruction open border policies cause, pain Texas has felt for years. Our country is being invaded by invitation due to the open border policies of the Biden administration. Since taking office, Biden has welcomed over 3.8 million illegal immigrants into the United States, with at least 169 from the terrorist watchlist, that we know of, and millions more "gotaways," and we have no idea who they are or where they are. Texas should not have to bear the burden of liberal border policies that hurt Americans and destroy our way of life. I will not stand for the hypocrisy of liberal politicians who advocated for sanctuary cities and now want to force illegal immigrants to stay in Texas. They now want someone else to deal with the consequences of their radical agenda and will do anything as long as it doesn't impose real border solutions. Enough is enough! This stops now," Jackson said.

Greg Sindelar, Texas Public Policy Foundation CEO said President Biden is deliberately trying to shield sanctuary cities from having to live with the reality of their open-border lunacy.

"The President can't be bothered to fix this national security crisis, which is completely of his doing, but he's more than willing to throw a lifeline to supposedly 'pro migrant' liberal cities as he tramples on state sovereignty in the process. Texas has been abandoned by the federal government and we must do whatever is necessary in our fight against this coordinated assault on our state and country," Sindelar said in the release.

The full bill text can be found here. This legislation is supported by the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Heritage Foundation, Federation for American Immigration Reform, and NumbersUSA.

Representatives Jake Ellzey (TX-6), Brian Babin (TX-36), Pat Fallon (TX-4), Morgan Luttrell (TX-8), Dan Crenshaw (TX-2), Randy Weber (TX-14), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Lance Gooden (TX-5), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Keith Self (TX-3), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Michael Burgess (TX-26), Michael McCaul (TX-10), Roger Williams (TX-25), Nathaniel Moran (TX-1), Kay Granger (TX-12), Tony Gonzales (TX-23), Chip Roy (TX-21), Michael Cloud (TX-27), John Carter (TX-31), Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Wesley Hunt (TX-38), Andy Biggs (AZ-5), Jeff Duncan (SC-3), Ralph Norman (SC-5), and Michael Guest (MS-3) cosponsored Jackson and Pfluger's legislation.