On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott and Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, will meet with incoming "border czar" Tom Homan.
“We’re going to take the handcuffs off ICE. ICE knows who they’re looking for," said Homan in an earlier FOX News interview.
The trip comes at at time when many are trying to cross the border despite a Biden Administration executive order closing down some of the asylum process. They're aiming to get across before tougher Trump actions in a second term.
Sunday night, Texas DPS staff released video of small children crossing the border alone, some as young as two years old.
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"Dos. Dos años," the little girl told DPS troopers along the border, according to the video.
Trump officials say they'll aim to deport criminals first but large deportation programs may eventually reach across Texas communities. The actions may set up a showdown between Republican lawmakers and industries that employ tens of thousands of workers illegally, like the homebuilding and construction industry.
In Dallas, Mayor Eric Johnson signaled his support for future deportations on FOX Business.
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When asked by the host if he "will deport" the "folks who are here illegally" Johnson said: “Of course. Of course, we’d support that. Of course, we’d stand by President Trump.”
It's not quite clear what the City of Dallas will do. The city has a "weak mayor" form of government which allows the city manager to make most of the day-to-day decisions. The manager is overseen by a mostly Democratic-leaning city council. Plus, the Dallas public schools have many students in the country illegally attending them.
"It’s a strain on our school system. It’s a strain on our hospital system. There are hidden costs to having a porous, open border. We need to shut that down," said Mayor Johnson.
Deportations may also slow down Texas business - especially in homebuilding, agriculture, and construction.
In a September 2024 report, the American Immigration Council and Texans for Economic Growth found nearly 300,000 construction workers in the state are "undocumented." That's around a quarter of the construction industry.
The report drew a reaction from Dallas Democratic State Representative Rafael Anchia, who wrote online: "If you brag about the 'Texas Miracle' w/o crediting our immigration essential workers - authorized & unauthorized - you know nothing."
The Texas legislature gavels into session in Austin in mid-January. Several far-reaching border security and immigration bills have already been filed.
