- A large rally is planned to demand that the Texas Legislature increase the state’s ability to enforce immigration law to defend its border with Mexico against an “invasion” by the Mexican cartels, Convention of States President Mark Meckler, who is organizing the event, exclusively revealed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
- Meckler hopes to get 20,000 people to attend the April 29th rally in Austin, Texas to demand action to combat the surge in drugs and illegal migrants pouring over the southern border.
- “What we’re saying is that we as Texans have a special obligation to protect Texas, but also to protect the country,” Meckler told the DCNF. “It’s our border. We have the longest contiguous border of Mexico of any state in the United States, over 1,300 miles. And our Legislature needs to step in and that’s part of HB 20.”
A massive rally is being organized to urge the Texas Legislature to fully implement an “invasion” declaration to combat the crisis at the state’s border with Mexico, Convention of States President Mark Meckler, who is organizing the event, exclusively revealed to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The “How Many More” march, which will take place in Austin, Texas, on April 29, will center around demanding that the Texas Legislature declare an “invasion” at the state’s border with Mexico, classify the Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, seize the cartels’ bank accounts and assets and form a state “border defense unit,” according to the event’s website. Federal authorities along the southern border have seen record surges in illegal immigration in recent years, recording more than 2.3 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2022 alone.
“What we’re saying is that we as Texans have a special obligation to protect Texas, but also to protect the country,” Meckler told the DCNF. “It’s our border. We have the longest contiguous border of Mexico of any state in the United States, over 1,300 miles. And our Legislature needs to step in and that’s part of HB 20.”
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made the “invasion” declaration in November, but Meckler told the DCNF the Texas Legislature must pass an upcoming bill to take full action to allow the state to enforce immigration law that includes sending illegal migrants back to Mexico under the authority of the U.S. Constitution. Abbott also started “Operation Lone Star” in March 2021 to deploy members of the Texas National Guard and troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to the state’s border with Mexico to combat the smuggling of humans and drugs into the state.
“No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay,” the Constitution says of a state’s authority to take such action.
The bill will be heard by a Texas legislative committee Wednesday, Meckler, who will testify in favor of its passage, told the DCNF.
Roughly 62% of voters support Texas forming its own border enforcement agency, according to a recent poll conducted by Convention of States Action and Trafalgar Group and exclusively obtained by the DCNF.
The influx of illegal migrants at the southern border has coincided with a surge in fentanyl being seized. Border Patrol agents seized over 2,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border in fiscal year 2022. A lethal dose is just 2 milligrams, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The march, however, will not focus on partisan attacks, Meckler said, adding that participants will rally around the humanitarian toll of the crisis at the southern border.
“What it’s not about is blaming the Biden administration,” Meckler told the DCNF.
“It’s not about pointing fingers at anybody in particular, it’s not about blaming the Texas Legislature. This is not about blame, this is about responsibility. And it’s about we the people taking responsibility and stepping up and saying, ‘Alright, we’ve had enough, you’re not going to be complicit anymore and demand that you do everything in your power to fix this’,” he said, adding that the goal is to have 20,000 people attending the upcoming rally.
The upcoming rally will feature several former law enforcement officials and others, including Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy, according to the event’s website.
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All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
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