It’s no secret that Governor Abbott has continuously attacked border communities and is working to push forward the Trump-era racist and discriminatory policies. As the special sessions begin to take place, let’s take a look back at the multiple ways that Abbott has caused harm in many immigrant communities. 

In 2014, then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a lawsuit to sue the Obama administration over DAPA and DACA+. He also incorrectly claimed that 3,000 murders were committed by undocumented immigrants to push the harmful rhetoric that criminalizes the immigrant community. 

In 2017, Abbott signed SB 4  which made an arrest-to-deportation pipeline the official policy of the state. SB4 forces local law enforcement to serve as immigration agents. It promotes “profiling based upon race, ethnicity, national origin, and perceived status.” This continues to threaten the livelihood of TX immigrants, Latinos, and people of color.

In 2019, 23 people were killed and another 23 people were wounded after Gov Abbott sent out his racist fundraising letter that used alarmist language in calling to “DEFEND” the Texas border. The shooter in El Paso stated he was targeting “Mexicans” when he surrendered. He claimed mistakes were made but never issued an official apology nor held a special session for safer gun laws. In fact, this year re-started using the same anti-immigrant rhetoric and even partnered with former President Trump.

Additionally, he has incited fear over nonexistent voter fraud, wrongly claiming that 95,000 non-citizens were registered to vote when in reality it was only 2. He continues to promote voter suppression that disproportionately affects Black, Indigenous, and brown communities in a state that historically has suppressed votes and has very strong gerrymandering. 

This week, Governor Abbott announced his priorities for the special legislative session. He wants to militarize and surveil border residents, make it harder for us to vote, and harm vulnerable Texans. Tune in next week as we talk more about the special session and if you haven’t already, sign up for our new online membership!