Consequently, Abbott explained, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) may “return to its previous practice” of randomized inspections at the bridge between Texas and Nuevo León. DPS will continue enhanced inspections of vehicles at other ports of entry between Texas and Mexico.
Abbott rolled out a policy last week requiring enhanced inspections of vehicles entering Texas from Mexico.
The Texas governor stated that he plans to meet on Thursday with other Mexican governors who have reached out to him as a result of the enhanced inspections policy. He also said he has been in touch with the chief officer for the North American unit at the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs.
“Until, however, those agreements are reached with those states, the Texas Department of Public Safety will continue to thoroughly inspect vehicles entering into the United States from every Mexican state except Nuevo León,” Abbott said.
García described Texas and Nuevo León as the “most important states in our two countries.”
The Mexican governor said his aim is to “ensure that Texas feels comfortable making business and having an effective and quicker border.”
Garcia cited the extended wait times for commerce between Nuevo León and Texas after Abbott instituted the enhanced inspection policy. He stated that his aim is to have “the best port of entry of Mexico here in Colombia.”
“These inspections revealed that about 25 percent of the vehicles crossing into Texas were unsafe for Texas roads and were removed from service,” Abbott said. “At the same time, Texas has been overrun with a record number of illegal immigrants crossing from Mexico into Texas with the assistance of cartels.”
Responding to claims that the policy was a “stunt,” the Texas governor stated that his ultimate objective with the policy was to draw attention to the problems arising from illegal immigration. Abbott suggested that the purpose of the delayed wait times and other problems was to give him leverage against Mexican officials.
When asked about Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller’s objections to the enhanced inspection policy, Abbott pointed to his negotiations with Garcia and said Miller “had no clue what we were doing” and was “completely uninformed.”
The governor was clear that the arrangement is contingent on Nuevo León upholding its end of the bargain.
###
Disclosure: Unlike almost every other media outlet, The Texan is not beholden to any special interests, does not apply for any type of state or federal funding, and relies exclusively on its readers for financial support. If you’d like to become one of the people we’re financially accountable to, click here to subscribe.
Hayden Sparks
Hayden Sparks is a senior reporter for The Texan and a lifelong resident of the Lone Star State. He has coached competitive speech and debate and has been involved in politics since a young age. One of Hayden's favorite quotes is by Sam Houston: "Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."
