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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 26, 2024 12:00 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mike Cabell |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Concurrent Resolution Supporting the State of Texas in Protecting the Border |
| We will soon be introducing a concurrent resolution expressing the support of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for the ongoing efforts of the State of Texas in securing the southern border and protecting Americans across the country from critically harmful levels of illegal immigration and organized criminal drug trafficking. Since 2021, the number of migrants who have unlawfully crossed the southern border is greater than the individual populations of 38 states. In December of 2023 alone, that number was more than 300,000 people- enough to be the second-largest city in Pennsylvania. The scale of this influx has overwhelmed many border towns and strained the resources of Texas’ state government. When just a small fraction of these migrants were transported to major “sanctuary” cities in other parts of the country, local officials there quickly recognized the harms of these immense numbers, with New York Mayor Eric Adams saying the migrants would “destroy New York City.” Yet Texas itself continues to grapple with a larger number of migrants each month. The southern border also serves as a primary avenue for the trafficking of illicit narcotics and other activities of organized criminal organizations. In 2023, the number of overdose deaths exceeded 112,000 in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this figure marks the highest 12-month overdose death total in history. A 2021 report published by the Department of Justice noted that 64% of all federal arrests in 2018 involved non-US citizens although they represented only 7% of the total United States’ population at that time. The failure of the United State Government to adequately address this crisis has led Texas to act in its stead, with the state facing outsize harm from the nearly two-thirds of the national border length accounted for by Texas alone. Pennsylvania must stand in support of Texas as it seeks to secure the border for the benefit of all Americans. The concurrent resolution will express the General Assembly’s support for Texas in its efforts, call on Governor Josh Shapiro to join with governors from across the country in their own support of Texas, and call on President Joe Biden to stop fighting against Texas’ efforts and instead to commit the Federal government’s resources to supporting Texas in securing the border. Please join us in sponsoring this important resolution. |