New Abbott order restricts transport of migrants due to COVID-19

AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order restricting the ground transportation of migrants due to COVID-19.

Abbott's order directs the Texas Department of Public Safety to stop any vehicle upon reasonable suspicion of such violation and reroute those vehicles back to their point of origin or a port of entry.

"The dramatic rise in unlawful border crossings has also led to a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases among unlawful migrants who have made their way into our state, and we must do more to protect Texans from this virus and reduce the burden on our communities," said Abbott in a statement. "This Executive Order will reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure in our communities."

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DPS also now has the authority to impound a vehicle that violates the order.

The order claims that recent reports show U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently seen a 900 percent increase in the number of migrant detainees who tested positive for COVID-19 in the Rio Grande Valley and that busloads of migrants. an unknown number of whom are infected with COVID-19, are being transported to Texas communities.

READ THE FULL EXECUTIVE ORDER HERE

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