Texas Border Wall Donations Grow to $54 Million as Financial Support Swells
Donations to fund a border wall being built by the state of Texas ended the month of August surpassing $54 million, according to a website established by the Lone Star state.
“While securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows. Texas is responding with the most robust and comprehensive border plan the nation has ever seen,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a “Border Crisis Update.”
“Open-border policies have led to a humanitarian crisis at our southern border as record levels of illegal immigrants, drugs, and contraband pour into Texas. The State of Texas is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the border crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally,” the update stated.
“Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs, and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve.”
According to The Texas Tribune, an online publication, donations started slowly after Abbott announced in June that the state would be allocating a $250 million “down payment” on the wall and the establishment of a website for public contributions, BorderWall.texas.gov.
But donations have picked up substantially in recent weeks.
“Two months into the effort, donations had leveled off at around $1.25 million — a drop in the bucket compared to the soaring costs associated with the massive project. But the effort saw a major jump in the second half of August, with donations jumping to nearly $19 million by Aug. 27 and then topping $54 million by Aug. 31,” the Texas Tribune reported.
Three months into the project, progress is already taking shape. In June, Abbott tweeted a video announcing, “Building the border barrier has begun.”
Building the border barrier has begun.
The 1st step is to get easements on land.
The 2nd step is to clear the land for the building process.
That is what is happening here.
The Texas Facilities Commission is working to hire a program manager to oversee the entire process. pic.twitter.com/n9JUN0CymL
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 28, 2021
The project follows disaster declaration Abbott issued June 1 covering 34 counties, later revised to 28 counties, to deal with the immigration crisis.
“President Biden’s open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous gangs and cartels, human traffickers, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour into our communities,” Abbott said in the June 1 declaration.
“Meanwhile, landowners along the border are seeing their property damaged and vandalized on a daily basis while the Biden Administration does nothing to protect them. Texas continues to step up to confront the border crisis in the federal government’s absence, but more must be done,” he added.
In June 28 Twitter post, he made the point even more clear.
Texans agree with me over Biden on border response.
They want action, not empty words.
While Biden does nothing to secure the border, Texas will get the job done. https://t.co/hoxsunF5Sp
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 28, 2021
“Texans agree with me over Biden on border response,” Abbott wrote.
“They want action, not empty words.
“While Biden does nothing to secure the border, Texas will get the job done.”
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