Texas Gets First-Ever Border Czar Amid Illegal Immigration Crisis

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference in Houston on Sept. 13, 2022. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced the appointment of former border agent Mike Banks to the position of special advisor on border matters, saying he will serve as the state’s first-ever border czar.

The governor made his announcement at a press conference held on Jan. 30 in San Benito Texas near the ongoing construction of the border wall between the United States and Mexico. The governor credited Banks’ decades of service in Border Patrol as part of what made him “perfect” for the position.

“For nearly two years, the State of Texas has taken unprecedented, historic action under Operation Lone Star in response to the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” Abbott said, according to his office.

“To continue doing what no other state in the history of our country has done to secure the border, I hired Mike Banks as the State of Texas’ first-ever Border Czar. As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas’ fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation.

“I have no doubt that Mike’s strong record of leadership and wealth of experience will provide Texans—and Americans—the level of border security expertise they deserve from a proper Border Czar.”

Banks responded to the governor’s announcement of his appointment to the role by saying: “I am humbled to be selected by Governor Abbott for this opportunity. Protecting our nation’s border is something I have dedicated the last 23 years of my life to, and I am very passionate about it. I look forward to strengthening our relationships with law enforcement partners and the community, leveraging all that we can to further protect our great state of Texas and the United States.”

During the press conference, the governor attempted to impress the need for increased border security, saying that border patrol has seized enough fentanyl to kill every person in the United States.

Along with Banks, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and Texas Military Department Major General Thomas Suelzer joined the governor at the border.

President Joe Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris to the position of border czar for his administration shortly after taking office. Abbott sent a letter to Harris soon after her appointment early in 2021, asking that the vice president take action to change the administration’s “open border policies” and help with the “ongoing humanitarian crisis.”