Texas Gov. Greg Abbott stops secondary inspections at border after striking deals with 4 Mexican governors
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Friday he had ended his policy of having state troopers conduct secondary inspections of trucks crossing from Mexico into Texas, The Washington Post reported.
The policy, enacted on April 6, backed up truck traffic at the border and led to a protest by Mexican truckers that halted trade at some major border crossings.
It also subjected Abbott, who is running for a third term, to criticism from U.S. and Mexican businesses, Mexican state and federal governments, the White House, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller (R), and many others.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Not everyone in Texas turned against Abbott, however. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said his strategy was "genius" and would "create pressure on Mexico and some of their governors."
On Thursday, Abbott began rolling back the inspection rules after striking deals with the governors of three of the four Mexican states that border Texas: Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Nuevo León. Abbott suspended secondary inspections at border crossings in those states after the governors agreed to have Mexican police conduct inspections on their side of the border. Abbott said on Thursday that secondary inspections would continue in the fourth Mexican border state, Tamaulipas, according to The Texas Tribune.
After meeting with Tamaulipas Governor Francisco García Cabeza de Vaca on Friday, Abbott announced that Texas state troopers were no longer conducting additional inspections at any border crossings, though he added that "if we do see increased [illegal] trafficking across the border we will strategically shut down certain bridges," per the Post.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
The ‘ravenous’ demand for Cornish mineralsUnder the Radar Growing need for critical minerals to power tech has intensified ‘appetite’ for lithium, which could be a ‘huge boon’ for local economy
-
Why are election experts taking Trump’s midterm threats seriously?IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the president muses about polling place deployments and a centralized electoral system aimed at one-party control, lawmakers are taking this administration at its word
-
‘Restaurateurs have become millionaires’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
NIH director Bhattacharya tapped as acting CDC headSpeed Read Jay Bhattacharya, a critic of the CDC’s Covid-19 response, will now lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
