AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott on March 9th, issued a statement following a U.S. federal judge's ruling that the Biden Administration has violated federal law by releasing illegal immigrants en masseat our southern border:

"On March 8th, another federal court announced what Texans—and Americans—have known all along: President Biden's open border policies are, in the words of Judge Wetherell, 'akin to posting a flashing Come In We’re Open sign on the southern border.' President Biden's catch-and-release agenda, which violates his constitutional duty to enforce federal immigration laws, has catalyzed an unprecedented crisis of illegal immigration at our southern border and throughout our nation. In 2023 alone, this surge of illegal immigration will saddle Texas taxpayers with an estimated financial burden of $13.3 billion.

The Biden Administration’s lawlessness is putting all Americans in imminent danger. President Biden must start enforcing the immigration laws that are already on the books. That means aggressively prosecuting illegal crossings between ports of entry, and locking up those illegal immigrants who 'shall' be detained according to Congress itself. While the State of Texas continues stepping up to secure the border in the federal government's absence, this ruling is a major win in our fight to combat the record-breaking levels of illegal immigration caused by the President's sustained dereliction of duty."

According to a recent report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, the fiscal burden of illegal immigration on Texas taxpayers in 2023 will be over $13.3 billion and over $4,400 per Texas taxpayer.