To Stop Illegal Immigration, Texas Must Declare Economic War on Mexico

This commentary was written by Don Huffines exclusively for Blaze Media and published here.

The cartel-controlled Mexican government is working in tandem with the United States federal government to flood Texas with millions of illegal aliens from over 160 countries. The border crisis is leading the way toward the collapse of the rule of law — and is designed to turn Texas blue, ensuring the Democratic Party never loses the presidency and control of the free world.

Mexico deliberately leaves its border unsecured, using it as a relief valve for unemployed labor that sends billions of dollars back into the country. The open Texas border generates immense wealth from drugs and human smuggling, further encouraging Mexico to keep the border unprotected.

As the former vice chairman of the Veteran Affairs and Border Security Committee in the Texas state Senate, I can assure you that no illegal aliens would cross our southern border if the cartel-controlled Mexican government did not allow them to.

To stop this attack on Texas, the U.S. must apply economic pressure on Mexico until it secures its side of the border. This strategy is the only one that has successfully forced Mexico to act. When President Trump proposed a 20% tax on Mexican imports, the border tightened, and border encounters dropped by more than half. When Biden removed the tariff threat, however, encounters surged more than fivefold to 2,475,669 in 2023.

The only path to achieving a secure Texas border in my lifetime is for Texas to take unilateral action, which the legislature has the authority to do. 

Although I strongly support capitalism and free markets, wartime demands drastic measures for a swift victory. For economic warfare to succeed, Texas must clearly explain why we’re applying economic pressure and specify the conditions needed to end it. I believe that with immediate resolve and courage, this economic war could be won in 90 days.

As for what economic pressure by Texas on Mexico would look like, the Huffines Liberty Foundation has released a solutions paper outlining several options for the Texas Legislature to consider:

Crush Mexico’s tourism industry

Tourism in 2023 accounted for 9.2% of Mexico’s GDP. The Huffines Liberty Foundation recommends that the Texas legislature direct hundreds of millions of dollars of its multibillion-dollar border security budget toward an advertising campaign to educate citizens across North America on the hazards of traveling to Mexico.

The massive marketing campaign should show graphically how dangerous it is to be a tourist in Mexico and make it clear that the Mexican government has taken the side of the Mexican cartels, sex traffickers, fentanyl smugglers, murderers, and rapists. This would take a significant bite out of Mexico’s economy.

Stop, search, and possibly seize all shipments crossing the border

Texas trades over $780 million daily with Mexico, while the U.S. trades $2 billion daily with Mexico. The state of Texas has the right to inspect these shipments for safety, illicit materials, and proper paperwork. The legislature should direct the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to subject inbound traffic to intensive searches lasting an indeterminate number of days.

Establish a border security inspection reimbursement fee

Article I, Section 10, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution gives Texas the authority to charge a fee to execute these new inspection laws. The legislature should impose a 6% border security inspection reimbursement fee on all money transfers by any source between Texas and Mexico. Additionally, all commercial aircraft landing in Texas from Mexico should be assessed a $10,000 inspection fee.

Ban remittances from illegal aliens

According to the Baker Institute for Public Policy, remittances from Texas to Mexico totaled $8.5 billion in 2022 alone. This money is taken from the Texas economy and pumped into the Mexican economy. The Texas legislature should ban all money transfers by illegal aliens.

For decades, Mexico has deliberately failed to control its side of the border. With the cooperation of the Biden-Harris administration, the situation is a full-scale invasion, allowing cartels and criminals to thrive. This creative new approach by the Huffines Liberty Foundation lays out a clear path for Mexico to secure its side of the Rio Grande.

If Mexico chooses to fight this economic war, it will lose, and the Mexico we know today will cease to exist. Texas strives to be a good friend and neighbor to Mexico, but it’s a two-way street.