Statement by Governor Perry on Trump Border Visit

AUSTIN — Today Governor Rick Perry released the following statement on Donald Trump's visit to Laredo to tour Texas' border with Mexico:

"Unlike Donald Trump, I have been battling the federal government over border security for years. Border security is a federal responsibility, but when it became clear Washington wouldn't act, I told President Obama if he wouldn't secure the border, Texas would. During my time in office, Texas dedicated nearly $1 billion to border security, and we focused our resources on the areas that needed it most – like the Rio Grande Sector, which accounts for more than 50 percent of illegal crossings on the entire U.S.-Mexico border, and more than 70 percent of illegal border crossings in Texas alone.

After weeks of talk, today Donald Trump will finally make his first trip to the Texas-Mexico border to see Texas' work to fill in the gaps left in border security by the federal government. While he is there, I hope he will explain to the people of Laredo why he thinks they should be on the hook to secure our country's border with Mexico, rather than the federal government. I hope he will explain to the Hispanic Americans he meets why he thinks they are rapists and murderers. And I hope he will apologize for ridiculing the selfless work of the men and women of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers, Texas Game Wardens and Texas National Guard to protect our communities in the face of the federal government's failure to secure the border.

As a known employer of illegal immigrant labor, Donald Trump's record on border security is non-existent at best and a farce at worst. It's going to take more than a day trip for him to convince the American people he is anything but a hypocrite when it comes to border security."

Texas Under Gov. Perry Appropriated Over $900 Million On Border Security Between 2008-2015 And Surged The National Guard To The Border:

Between 2008 And 2014 Texas Appropriated More Than $900 Million On Border Security Efforts, Including Airplanes, Helicopters, Armed Patrol Boats And Surveillance Cameras. "Since 2008, Texas has spent more than $900 million—on airplanes, helicopters, armed patrol boats and surveillance cameras, among other things—to spot illegal activity along the Rio Grande. The military-style buildup is meant to counter what politicians in Texas see as a lack of resources devoted by Mr. Obama to policing the border." (Nathan Koppel And Miguel Bustillo, "Texas Grapples With How To Continue Border Surge," Wall Street Journal, 4/3/15)

In 2014 Governor Perry Ordered A Deployment Of As Many As 1,000 National Guard Troops To Protect Texas' Southern Border. "Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced plans Monday to deploy as many as 1,000 National Guard troops to the state's border with Mexico, faulting federal officials for 'empty promises' in dealing with an influx of Central American children and families. .... Perry said the state's enforcement surge in the Rio Grande Valley has already deterred illegal immigration, with apprehensions down 36% overall during the last month." (Molly Hennessy-Fiske, "Texas Gov. Rick Perry Orders 1,000 National Guard Troops To Border," Los Angeles Times, 7/21/14)

In June 2014 The Texas DPS Surged Officers, Reducing Border Apprehensions By 80.84 Percent Between The Start Of The Operation And Governor Perry's Last Week In Office. During the first week of Texas DPS' border surge (Operation Strong Safety), there were 6,606 border patrol apprehensions on Texas' southern border with Mexico (June 22-28). During Governor Perry's last week in office (January 18-24, 2015), there were 1,266 border patrol apprehensions on Texas' southern border with Mexico. ("Texas Border Security Dashboard," Texas DPS, 5/6/15)



Laborers On Trump's Washington DC Hotel Currently Under Construction Admit They Are In The Country Illegally:

The Washington Post Reported That A Number Of Laborers Working On Trump's New Luxury Hotel In Washington DC Are "In The Country Illegally.""For weeks, dozens of construction workers from Latin America have streamed onto the site of the Old Post Office Pavilion in downtown Washington and taken pride in their work building one of the city's newest luxury hotels. But that job site is now laden with tension after the man behind the project — billionaire developer Donald Trump — put himself at the center of the nation's debate over illegal immigration. ... Interviews with about 15 laborers helping renovate the Old Post Office Pavilion revealed that many of them had crossed the U.S-Mexico border illegally before they eventually settled in the Washington region to build new lives. ... Others quietly acknowledged that they remain in the country illegally." (Antonio Olivo, "At Trump Hotel Site, Immigrant Workers Wary," The Washington Post, 7/6/15)

FLASHBACK: In 1990 Trump Was Sued For Allegedly Knowingly Using 200 Undocumented Workers To Demolish A Tower To Make Way For The Trump Tower In New York City. "Donald J. Trump took the witness stand yesterday to deny seven-year-old charges that he knowingly used 200 undocumented workers to demolish the old Bonwit Teller building to make way for Trump Tower, the glittering centerpiece of his real-estate empire." (Dean Baquet, "Trump Says He Didn't Know He Employed Illegal Aliens," The New York Times, 7/13/90)

NOTE: A Disproportionate Share Of Border Crossings Occur In The Rio Grande Valley Sector, Not The Laredo Sector:

Texas DPS Notes The Rio Grande Valley Is "The Center Of Gravity For Human Smuggling" On The Border And That The RGV "Has Accounted For A Disproportionate Share" Of Illegal Immigrants. "The Rio Grande Valley has become the center of gravity for human smuggling along the U.S. Southwest border. During the past two years, the RGV has accounted for a disproportionate share of all illegal aliens, other-than-Mexicans (OTM), UACs and SIAs."

In 2014, 53 Percent Of All Apprehensions Of Illegal Immigrants Along The Full U.S.-Mexico Border Occurred In The Rio Grande Valley. ("United States Border Patrol Sector Profile FY2014," U.S. Border Patrol, Accessed 7/22/15)