Securing the Border
Texas shares a 1,254 mile border with our number one trading partner, Mexico. More than 1/3 of Texas citizens can trace their lineage to our southern neighbor and relationships of family, friends and free enterprise flow across the border to the benefit of both. However, criminals also see our border as a gateway to their own illicit prosperity, requiring Texas to maintain an aggressive approach to border security.
Key Initiatives
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Border Security
Governor Perry, recognizing that one of the greatest criminal and terrorist threats to the state is a porous Texas-Mexico border, has taken action to place law enforcement resources in the border region to curb the exploitation of unsecured areas by Mexican crime cartels, transnational gangs and would-be terrorists. These efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in crime in the border region and an increased sense of security by residents of border communities.
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Gang Initiative
Governor Perry has been a leader on gangs since 1999 when, as Lieutenant Governor, he helped pass a comprehensive strategy meant to prevent gangs from recruiting Texas children. His focus on these dangerous groups continues with the introduction of his statewide gang initiative targeting transnational gangs with well-coordinated, properly resourced law enforcement efforts. Gov. Perry is seeking broad, bipartisan support for this effort to make Texas cities safer.
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Information Sharing
Governor Perry has helped develop information sharing in many ways, including the support of two key initiatives: the Texas Data Exchange (TDEx) and LiveScan, as well as the establishment of the Texas Fusion Center, the Border Security Operations Center and Joint Operations Intelligence Centers in each border security sector along the Texas-Mexico border. Each of these initiatives facilitates the sharing of critical information among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
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Overwhelming Presence
Governor Perry recognized the need to support local and state law enforcement agencies responsible for protecting the Texas-Mexico border area in terms of manpower and necessary equipment. He provided funds to support Operation Linebacker in November 2005, and additional funds to support Operation Rio Grande in 2006. Gov. Perry then requested $110 million from the 80th Texas Legislature to support ongoing border security operations in Texas.
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