Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced an end to the truck inspection order that was causing nightmare traffic backups at the border.
But as the left is crowing about their victory over the dastardly Abbott, they’re missing the fact that Abbott signed several tougher inspection agreements with Mexican states that border Texas. The goal of making Mexico more responsible for security on their side of the border was achieved.
Signed a memorandum of understanding with Tamaulipas Gov. @fgcabezadevaca in Weslaco today.
Border governors achieve results when we work together.
As Biden ignores the border crisis, Texas continues to work with heads of state in Mexico to address it. https://t.co/BZBvpIq9T1
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) April 16, 2022
Pressure was building on Abbott to retreat as gridlock on the border worsened. The American Trucking Association called the inspections “wholly flawed, redundant and adding considerable weight on an already strained supply chain.” One customs agency in Mexico estimated the losses at millions of dollars a day, and produce distributors warned of empty shelves and higher prices if the order was not rescinded soon.
Abbot acknowledged the trade slowdowns but showed no sign of regret. He said he was prepared to reimpose the inspections if Mexican states don’t hold up their end of the deal.
“I’m not hesitant to do so whatsoever,” Abbott said.
The truck inspections were not necessarily designed to interdict drugs and illegal aliens. The Texas Department of Safety conducted the vehicle inspections and found one in four trucks with defective brakes or tires. Several high-profile accidents with many fatalities involving trucks stuffed with illegal aliens made the inspections necessary.
Abbott’s deals with Mexican authorities will keep at least some of those trucks off Texas roads.
Abbott called the inspections a “zero tolerance policy for unsafe vehicles” smuggling migrants. He said Texas would take several steps in response to the end of the asylum restrictions, which is expected to lead to an increase in migrants coming to the border.
State troopers inspected more than 6,000 commercial vehicles over the past week, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Nearly 1 in 4 trucks were pulled off the road for what the agency described as serious violations that included defective tires and brakes.
Troopers did not turn up any human or drug trafficking during the inspections, said Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw. He described it as unsurprising, saying cartels knew the inspections were taking place.
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Was this a win or a loss for the Texas governor? Certainly, he angered a lot of truckers by slowing traffic at the border to a crawl, and merchants on both sides of the border experienced losses due to spoilage and delays.
But Abbott is trying to get Washington to wake up and start preparing for a human tidal wave. Last month, there were 220,00 arrests at the border — about 8,000 a day. Biden’s DHS is expecting 18,000 arrests a day when Title 42 is lifted. Where is Washington going to put them all? And while the border patrol is processing the 18,000 a day, how many illegals will walk across the border because no one is there to stop them? How many drugs are going to make their way to city streets?
Abbott is doing all he can to highlight Washington’s denial of reality. It’s not going to be enough.
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