FIRST ON FOX: Brent Smith sees first-hand how illegal immigrants have caused havoc to ranchers and farmers along the US-Mexico border, from normal property damage to the constant fear of going out at night. I am.
Smith, a county lawyer in Kinney County, Texas, said he was evading border guards and prosecuting an increase in undocumented immigrants trying to reach the United States on private Texas land. ..
Growing up in a ranch family, Smith also hears from local real estate owners whose fences are routinely damaged by illegal immigrants trying to enter the United States by cutting them or driving in stolen cars. Tilt.
According to Smith, ranchers must constantly patrol the fences, take breaks, and quickly repair livestock to prevent them from escaping to the highway, which poses a danger to drivers. Daily struggles are hitting the agricultural community and its bank accounts.
“We’re still not paying for the fence,” Smith told Fox News. “There is no insurance company to cover it, so the farmers and the ranchers themselves have to pay for it.”
“People here are absolutely fed up with it,” Smith continued, referring to the influx of illegal immigrants. “I know some families who are actually moving out of the county because of danger.”
However, some relief may be on the way.
Republican Rep. August Pfruger has introduced bipartisan legislation into the House of Representatives to compensate farmers and ranchers at the forefront of the border crisis for the vandalism and damage they endure
The law reprograms $ 300 million from unused coronavirus rescue money and damages caused by illegal immigrants, including livestock loss, crop loss and damage, boundary fence replacement, physical structural damage, and property loss. Establish a new fund to pay farmers.
Pfluger told Fox News that President Biden’s border policy exacerbated the problem, leaving farmers and ranchers lost millions from the damage.
“The magnitude of the problem is now very problematic and all ranchers in the border county are in pain,” said Pfruger, who recently visited the southern border with former President Trump.
Republican Rep. August Pfruger speaks with an immigrant he met on June 30, 2021 at the Texas-Mexico border.
The law is approved by the Texas Agricultural Service and the National Association of Beef Cattle Producers. In addition to Pfluger, the bill is sponsored by another Republican, Tony Gonzales, and two Democrats, Henry Cuellar and Vicente Gonzalez, all in Texas.
Lawmakers say farmers and ranchers are entitled to redemption to restore their property.
“The cost of illegal immigrants is rising,” Quera said in a statement to Fox News. “Farmers and ranchers are facing damage to their crops and homes due to the trespassing of illegal immigrants to avoid law enforcement.”
“Locally, Texas farms and ranches cover more than 125 million acres of land. These farms and ranches were important for storing food in grocery stores during a pandemic.”
Illegal immigrants commit crimes and cause a surge in deaths in local Texas communities
Proponents of the bill say that what is really needed is a permanent solution to the border crisis to stop the flow of immigrants into the United States, but until then, struggling farmers and ranchers are urgent. Relief is needed.
“The Texans should not be liable for the losses caused by the Biden border crisis and are entitled to compensation for the damages they suffered,” Gonzales said in a statement to Fox News.
Meanwhile, Smith says his border homeland peasants and ranchers are afraid to live.
“I can’t go out at night anymore,” Smith said. “When it gets dark, you should arm yourself if you are outside.”
“It’s even more dangerous. Where we live, we don’t enjoy the same freedom as other Americans,” Smith continued. “We can no longer go out to the backyard. We can’t have a picnic outside without fear of illegal immigrants coming to us. Cartels are now exempt on both sides of the border.”
