Greg Abbott Screwed Over Truck Drivers in a Misguided Attempt to Increase Border Security – By Fiona Harrigan (Reason) / April 15, 2022
The new inspection initiative duplicated screenings that were already being carried out, irking trade officials and truckers—even those who have supported Abbott up until this point.
UPDATE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott repealed the enhanced inspection measure on Friday evening after signing a security agreement with the governor of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The original story follows:
Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a series of measures intended to fortify his state’s border with Mexico and target undocumented immigrants crossing into the United States. In addition to the more performative stunts Abbott is implementing, the Republican governor is directing the Texas Department of Public Safety “to conduct enhanced safety inspections of vehicles as they cross international ports of entry into Texas,” citing drug smuggling and migrant trafficking.
Though seemingly one of the more commonsense components of Abbott’s order, truckers, local business owners, and international commerce experts are raising concerns. The enhanced inspections, which bolster efforts already carried out by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), have brought traffic to a standstill in the name of stopping the illegal transportation of drugs and migrants. “We weren’t taken into consideration,” said Ernesto Gaytan, chair of the Texas Trucking Association (TXTA), telling Reuters that migrants rarely attempt to enter the U.S. on commercial trucks at ports of entry.
