Texas has been frustrated for years because of illegal immigration, and President Donald Trump's move to add more border security and immigration agents, along with the call to build a wall at the Mexican border is a "huge benefit," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Wednesday.
"The number one priority is making sure that people who pose a threat to this country are immediately dealt with," Paxton told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" program, explaining that people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been handcuffed when trying to do their jobs.
"The last administration had so many carve outs," said Paxton, and now, it's important to "make sure they have the ability and the guidance and resources to do what their mission is."
Texas has filed an amicus brief in connection with Trump's first executive order on travel from the Middle East, and Paxton said the state believes what has already been done was perfectly legal, as by federal statute, the president has the authority to restrict entry to anyone he determines that it's detrimental to the country."
For years, Texas has had to spend its own money to try to resolve immigration issues, but with Trump putting resources into the matter, it ultimately saves us a lot of money and the cost of immigration, Paxton said.
Meanwhile, Paxton said that when the wall goes up, it will likely be a combination of a physical barrier and technology, and Texas' government is in discussion with the White House on the wall and immigration.
"He was just confirmed recently, so we're getting started," said Paxton. "We're optimistic about the future and the total change from the administration from where we were a few months ago."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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