Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is expected to endorse Donald Trump during their meeting in Texas on Sunday.
Trump is visiting during the governor's annual tradition of delivering tamales to Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and Texas National Guardsmen stationed at the border ahead of Thanksgiving. The troopers' and guardsmen's efforts led to the apprehension 484,100 illegal migrants since March 2021. Additionally, they have seized over 435 million lethal doses of fentanyl amid their duties to secure the border.
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Ahead of the 2022 elections, Trump endorsed Abbott for governor, and now Abbott will be returning the favor as a three-term governor. Abbott won easily in 2022 against former Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D-TX).
This election cycle Trump is facing off against fellow Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and four other Republican candidates. Abbott similarly endorsed Trump ahead of the 2020 election and even supported an audit of the election in Texas — despite Trump winning the state with similar numbers to those of 2016.
Currently, Abbott is facing legal challenges to the buoys he's installed in the Rio Grande River and his transportation of migrants to other states. These are all projects within Operation Lonestar, Abbott's program designed to protect the border. The Biden administration has also criticized Abbott's border policies.
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Meanwhile, Trump has maintained his own border policies that he began campaigning on in 2016. Border towns in Texas stand to lose security should President Joe Biden win a second term, as his administration has been selling parts of the unfinished border wall. Biden was cornered by congressional legislation to finish some 20 miles of the wall, resenting the construction and condemning Congress.
Over 10 million migrants have entered the country illegally since Biden took office. This is the most recorded in that amount of time and higher than during any other administration.