KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas – The Kaufman County Commissioners' Court will discuss and consider a symbolic resolution, entitled “A Resolution To Protect the Health, Safety, and Security of the Residents of Kaufman County Texas,” forbidding the federal government from housing illegal immigrants within the county who have crossed the Texas-Mexico border en masse.
KAUFMAN COUNTY, Texas – The Kaufman County Commissioners' Court will discuss and consider a symbolic resolution, entitled “A Resolution To Protect the Health, Safety, and Security of the Residents of Kaufman County Texas,” forbidding the federal government from housing illegal immigrants within the county who have crossed the Texas-Mexico border en masse.
Although county officials have yet to be contacted by the federal government requesting housing for illegal immigrant children, Kaufman County Tea Party Chairman Ray Myers, Senator-elect Bob Hall, and Representative-elect Stuart Spitzer appealed to the commissioners' court on Monday, July 14, 2014, requesting a resolution be considered and passed.
At the time of press, three resolutions were submitted to the Commissioners' Court for review at their July 21, 2014, meeting.
The resolutions, one a replica of a resolution passed in Galveston County earlier this month and another from Tom Green County, propose forbidding the federal government from housing illegal immigrants in Kaufman County and cite health, budgetary, criminal, and terrorist concerns.
The resolutions also suggest state and federal legislators cease relocation of illegal immigrants into communities across Texas, adding additional border security, enhancing smuggling and immigration laws, and abolishing “sanctuary cities” in an effort to protect the health and well-being of the citizens.
“It's a humanitarian crisis,” Spitzer told the commissioners. “These kids are being used as political pawns … this isn't our game, we aren't gonna play it. We're gonna take care of our folks here.”
“It is portrayed in the media as children,” said Hall. “I'll assure you the people I have talked to say that that is a small percentage of what is coming across.”
“This is a humanitarian problem that we are faced with,” he said. “With the number of diseases … these diseases could lead to a pandemic if they got into our school systems.”
Myers described the immigration issue as “the greatest crisis in our lifetime,” adding, “they're coming to get on our welfare system.” “What about our kids?” he asked.
On July 9, 2014, Texas Governor Rick Perry met with President Barack Obama to discuss the influx of undocumented immigrants at the Texas-Mexico border. Perry requested deploying an additional 1,000 National Guard troops to the border, the use of drones for border surveillance, and medical screenings and inspections by the Centers for Disease Control in conjunction with the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Perry also suggested modifying or rescinding policies such as the Department of Homeland Security's “Catch and Release” which issues illegal immigrants a notice to appear before an immigration judge before they are released. According to Perry, the Department of Justice reports 33 percent of released illegal immigrants with notices to appear failed to appear before an immigration judge.
The Monday, July 21, 2014, Commissioners' Court Meeting is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. at the Commissioners' Court Meeting Room in the Kaufman County Courthouse Annex building located at 100 North Washington in Kaufman, Texas.
