A recent report by Forbes revealed how Florida's anti-immigrant bill SB1718 is being considered by members of the upcoming Trump administration as a sort of roadmap for the proposed immigration crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Proponents are arguing that the bill holds the key for providing economic prosperity while maintaining robust enforcement while detractors point to labor shortages as a counterpoint, highlighting the emotional toll that SB1718 has taken on the Sunshine State's immigrant communities, documented or not.
But Florida is far from the only Republican-led state that is currently providing inspiration for nationwide policies during Trump's upcoming second term. Texas is also preparing to pay a pivotal role thanks to governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star which seems to have a fervent admirer in Trump's recently-minted "border czar" Thomas Homan, according to a new report from The New York Times.
"This is a model we can take across the country," Mr. Homan said in a recent trip to the Lone Star State while addressing a group of National Guard members and Texas state troopers involved in border enforcement in the border city of Eagle Pass. "I am impressed by what I've seen today."
Texas has spent over $10 billion on border security in the past three years, implementing measures such as concertina wire barriers, buoy systems in the Rio Grande, and increased National Guard deployments. Governor Abbott has described these efforts as a "stopgap" while the federal government under Biden struggled to address unauthorized crossings.
As the only Republican-led state on the Mexican border, Texas is poised to assist with the Trump administration's plans. The state's Land Commissioner, Dawn Buckingham, has offered 1,400 acres of state land for potential federal deportation centers, with even more potential land also being suggested.
"We have 13 million acres around the state, and if there's something that meets the federal government's needs, we want them to be able to utilize that," Buckingham told the Texas Tribune.
Other Republican-led states, including Oklahoma and Utah, have pledged to collaborate with federal efforts to deport unauthorized migrants, particularly those with criminal records. However, Texas' long-standing border initiatives give it a distinct role in shaping national policy.
Earlier this year Texas attempted to provide even greater power to local police by making any unauthorized border crossing from Mexico to Texas a state crime, not just trespassing on private land. The law, known as Senate Bill 4, was quickly challenged by the Biden administration and civil rights groups before it could go into effect and is currently on hold amid a federal court fight.
Nevertheless, Texas has appeared increasingly confident that its legal situation on the border is about to improve and the state has introduced additional measures, including mounted border patrol units.
"Look, me and Governor Abbott, we're already working together," Mr. Homan said in a recent joint interview with the governor on Fox News. "We're already making plans. We're not waiting for Jan. 20. The planning starts now. Jan. 20: Game on."
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