Texas Border Business
McALLEN, Texas – McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos penned a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, expressing support for two bills filed by Chairman Terry Canales (D-40) that support border security. The letter was also signed by the mayors of 21 of the 22 cities in Hidalgo County.
“I felt it was important to express support for Chairman Canales’ bills, which would be extremely beneficial to McAllen and all of Hidalgo County,” said Mayor Villalobos. “In fact, the Rio Grande Valley is strongest when we come together as a region, which is why my fellow mayors also felt it important to sign the letter.”
Chairman Canales has filed House Bill 3805, which would create a new category for funding Texas transportation projects focused on providing greater security in the movement of goods near the Texas/Mexico border. His other bill, House Bill 4422 is a study on enhancing border security through public safety, technology and transportation improvements near the Texas/Mexico border.
According to Mayor Villalobos, the “bills represent a bold new strategy in the effort to secure the border.” In the letter, Villalobos further expresses to Gov. Abbott “to revisit the state’s current approach to border security and consider the opportunities that Rep. Canales is proposing.”
“The City of Edinburg, alongside the rest of the Rio Grande Valley, heavily depends on the transportation of goods through our international ports of entry to maintain a healthy economy for our residents and the future of our city,” says Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza, Jr. “House Bill 3805 and House Bill 4422 would allow that to become a priority, while simultaneously securing our borders and acknowledging the developments along the Texas-Mexico border that need to be studied to improve supply chains. Cities in the RGV are impacted on a daily basis, and we hope that these efforts help in guiding border security in the right direction.”
“The City of Pharr stands alongside our Hidalgo County cities in supporting Chairman Canales’ HB 4422 and HB 3805, both of which would enhance our bridge operations, invest in new technology, and ultimately secure the border which is the driving force of our local economies,” said Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D.
“We are a border city, so border security is crucial for us. However, it is a regional concern. This is why local mayors have made a special effort to meet and discuss border security,” said City of Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza. “The Rio Grande Valley needs to be heard, and no better way than coming together and speaking as one. I believe this bill would help our efforts to secure the border and support Border Patrol and other agencies that are tasked with that.”
