Attorney general Greg Abbott’s $345 million border security plan is almost certainly doomed to fail. The border region is so huge and comprises so many millions of acres that it defies the ability of state government to enforce whatever security issues may arise. Every Republican candidate this election cycle has called for “securing the border,” but the reality is that the border is too big to secure.
The region will swallow up the five hundred or so DPS troopers that Abbott intends to send into the field, not to mention the $345 million he intends to spend. His plan will certainly play well with GOP voters, but the question that should be asked is, What is the mission of the troopers, and what are the rules of engagement? If those issues are not resolved, the “solution” could be worse than the problem.
