AUSTIN, Texas – At this very moment, Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz and MAGA Republicans are inciting an outright war against the federal government and Border Patrol to push an extremist agenda. Not only is Greg Abbott physically blocking the federal government from carrying out border security measures — he is now mobilizing a coalition of extremist groups and militias to our state by echoing the same language and sentiment responsible for the mass killing of Americans across the country, including the El Paso Walmart Massacre on the border. 

We’ve already seen bloodshed motivated by Texas Republicans’ careless approach to border-related language – and the propagation of both dehumanizing, racist rhetoric combined with military-style action at the southern border is activating an extremist base across the country once again.  

El Paso shooter: “About 20 minutes before the shooting started at an El Paso Walmart, a rambling screed was posted to an online message board saying the massacre was in response to an “invasion” of Hispanics coming across the southern border.”

Donald Trump: “There’s never been anything like this. Our country is being invaded. This is an invasion.”

Ted Cruz: “The Supreme Court's decision blocking Texas from [removing razor wire] its border is horrible [...] [Biden] is destroying our country and enabling an invasion.”

Greg Abbott: “The only thing that we are not doing is we’re not shooting people who come across the border—because, of course, the Biden administration would charge us with murder.”

Dan Patrick: "This is an invasion from third-world countries. They're coming here with health issues, they're uneducated, unemployed, and all they do is commit crime on the streets."

Justin Mohn: “During the online diatribe, Mohn rails against the Biden administration and the border crisis while declaring himself the new acting US president.”

Firefly migrant processing facility: On Friday, February 2nd, a migrant processing facility was evacuated after the FBI was alerted to extremist threats claiming that the facility is a front for human trafficking. 

God’s Army: A group of MAGA supporters titled “God’s Army” will hold a “Take Back Our Border Rally” in Quemado, Texas on Saturday, February 3rd.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa issues the following statement: 

“Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, and Texas Republicans have made the dehumanization of migrants and our border communities a central platform issue in their campaign of cruelty for political gain. What we are seeing here is a barbaric and cold-blooded approach to border security that echoes that of fascist leaders throughout history and domestic terrorist attacks here in Texas. And right now, Texas Republicans are rolling out the red carpet for MAGA extremists traveling to our border communities from across the country.

“The rise of hatred towards migrants and Latino communities as a whole must be condemned immediately – but instead, Texas Republicans are parading their military movie set on Fox News and spewing racist ideologies to continue to capitalize on the chaos they created. Make no mistake: the southern border and its communities are the MAGA Republicans new “boogeyman” issue to rally behind, and any impending hate-fueled bloodshed will be blood on Greg Abbott’s hands.”

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