County judges across the state received a letter Monday from the governor’s office requesting a tally of costs related to the influx of migrants arriving at the border.
“Even though the federal government has the duty to secure the border,” Governor Greg Abbott’s letter read, “the recent surge in illegal border crossings has forced the State and local governments to allocate resources and spend money to deal with the fallout of the border crisis.”
Abbott stated his intention is to help affected counties recover costs.
“Because the burden of these extra costs is a direct result of federal policies, the State of Texas will formally request that the federal government pay in full these costs borne by the State and local governments,” the letter read.
“As far as the county is concerned, I don’t believe that we have any substantial costs dealing with immigrants,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said.
In the Rio Grande Valley, most costs are carried by the non-governmental organizations and municipalities. Cortez asked staff to compile a report.
“The costs would probably be if we are providing Catholic Charities (of the Rio Grande Valley) with any supplies, testing supplies, or any materials for COVID testing, if we provided any transportation,” Cortez said.
The county is also waiting for an answer from the governor’s office to know whether they can include costs incurred by cities and organizations within their counties.
Abbott recently blocked NGOs and cities from accessing FEMA federal funds to continue providing assistance to the humanitarian crisis.
“They can provide that funding and equipment directly to ICE, and it’s ICE that administers those tests while the people who are here illegally are in holding,” Abbott said during a visit to the Rio Grande Valley in March.
Those statements were different in tone compared to the letter’s closing remarks: “I strongly believe that your county, our state, and our fellow Texans should not be forced to shoulder these costs, and that the federal government should reimburse us in full.”
County judges were asked to have commissioners courts adopt a resolution supporting the state’s request for federal funds to reimburse the state and local governments expenses.
Cortez said he plans to discuss the matter in the next meeting. Lawyers advised this was not a situation that required an emergency meeting.
