Frio, Karnes, La Salle, and Medina counties in Texas have recently issued invasion declarations, echoing the sentiment of growing concern over border security. These four counties join a movement of the local administrations of dozens of other counties in the Lone Star State striving to maintain safety and sovereignty in their jurisdictions amid the ongoing crisis.
Newly elected Atascosa County Judge Weldon Cude leads the latest surge of counties declaring an invasion, creating a coalition to rally other counties into action. Before his election, Cude was a county commissioner, serving six terms and representing a largely Republican-voting, majority-Hispanic population south of San Antonio.
Four more Texas counties declare invasion at southern border, support Gov. Abbott's plan | Just The News https://t.co/uITOnqyCJV
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Cude, expressing bewilderment at the hesitation of other counties, told The Center Square, “If you have people from all over the world coming into your county by bus, plane, or smuggling people and drugs, why wouldn’t you declare an invasion?”
This movement has seen strong momentum since Kinney County first issued a disaster declaration in April 2021. Over 50 counties have since made similar declarations, citing the border crisis as the root cause. The coalition seeks “to promote the common goal of safety, security, and well-being of their residents,” using all legal means to curb the crisis.
Each declaration holds steadfast to the belief that the responsibility for ‘domestic tranquility’ and the ‘common defense’ lies with the Federal Government, as outlined by the U.S. Constitution. These counties affirm their backing for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s commitment to securing the border under the legal authority vested in him by the Texas Constitution.
One year after the first invasion declarations, these counties grapple with cartel violence and pressing threats to their sovereignty. Brent Smith, Kinney County Attorney and author of the initial Declaration of Invasion emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “I don’t think words can adequately describe how it feels to lose the security and protection we once had.”
Kinney County Sheriff Brad Coe underscored the ongoing threat, referring to the influx of undocumented individuals as a “silent invasion” of military-age men.
Despite the ongoing crisis, Smith laments that “many of the conservative state leaders in the state legislature have not produced any meaningful results yet.” Still, he and his coalition continue to push for more robust border security measures, even as the influx of illegal entries into the U.S. has reportedly exceeded eight million people since the current presidential administration took office.
Goliad County Judge Mike Bennett summarized the prevailing sentiment among these Texas counties, maintaining, “We are losing our republic.” He implores other Texas county judges to present a united front to the governor and demonstrate their seriousness about “making a difference.”
The Texas counties’ call for defense against invasion demonstrates a firm stand for local sovereignty and support for Gov. Abbott’s border security plan. As these local administrations continue their fight against what they term an invasion, the call for stronger security and measures to curb this crisis grows louder.
Here’s a report from last year, when the first Texas counties began to declare the crisis as a border invasion formally:
