Greg Abbott blames Joe Biden for migrant deaths, but the governor’s own border security efforts have fallen short

State troopers inspect trucks in front of the Pharr International Bridge on April 14, 2022. (Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune)

In April, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state police to inspect every commercial vehicle entering Texas through a port of entry, saying the painful step was needed because the Biden administration was not doing its job to secure the border.

Drug cartels, Abbott said, were using “dangerous commercial trucks” to smuggle “immigrants, deadly fentanyl and other illegal cargo” into the state. The “enhanced commercial vehicle inspections” at the border caused hourslong delays at the inland ports, essentially grinding trade with Mexico to a halt and costing Texas businesses millions in losses.