“This is a very concerning abuse of power, abuse of authority, because he’s trying to criminalize the work of human rights organizations,” Fernando Garcia, executive director of the non-profit Border Network for Human Rights, told The Dallas Morning News. “The Border Network has always acted within the law, and this threat from Abbott is not going to stop us from informing and educating members of the immigrant community about their rights.”
“We are not smugglers,” Garcia continued. “We are not criminal drug organizations. This only happens in the twisted minds of politicians.”
Like Abbott, who actually has likely violated state and federal law through his racist Operation Lone Star scheme that’s been costing state taxpayers billions. Like Paxton, who is now in year seven (!!!) of avoiding trial on felony securities fraud charges. Real nice attorney general you got there, Texas Republicans. Really makes the case that you’re all about that “law and order” and all that shit. Abbott’s letter to Paxton is here, for those who wish to read it.
This isn’t the first time the right-wing governor has attacked organizations, last year issuing an executive order (EO) ordering state officers to seize the vehicles of private citizens or contractors who they suspect to be transporting migrants. That illegal order was later blocked by numerous courts.
“Because of Abbott’s EO restricting transporting migrants, people are afraid to help migrant families. The local shelter wouldn’t take people in because they could not help them get out,” Texas Fair Defense Project tweeted at the time. Even just a volunteer driving a migrant to a doctor’s appointment or a movie was cause for fear. In a tweet initially reacting to Abbott’s 2021 order, Annunciation House responded simply: “’Whatever you refuse to the least of these brothers of mine, you refuse to me.’—Matthew 25:45.” That group will likely be looked at by Paxton and his cronies.
”A spokesman for the El Paso Catholic Diocese, which operates several migrant shelters in the El Paso region, said the church only works ‘with migrants who have been processed by CBP [Customs and Border Protection], and we work very closely with CBP and the Border Patrol,” The Dallas Morning News reports.
“We are actively helping families stay off the cold streets and bring them into warm shelters,” the spokesman said in the report. “Everyone of the migrants that we are assisting has been processed by CBP.” That group will also likely be looked at by Paxton and his cronies.
So why is Greg Abbott doing this right now, after he’s already won his reelection campaign? Well, barring an appeals court order, the Biden administration is set to lift Stephen Miller’s anti-asylum Title 42 order in just a couple of days, on Dec. 21. Is Greg Abbott setting the stage to again frighten organizations who will be aiding newly-arrived migrants? Is he trying to ensure more people don’t make it into a shelter and have to sleep out in the cold? Is he trying to make Texans so uneasy that they’ll wonder if they’ll fall onto the radar for volunteering? It’s Greg Abbott. Of course he is.
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