Governor Abbott renews border crisis disaster declaration in 43 counties

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott has extended his disaster declaration for 43 Texas counties in response to the ongoing border crisis.

The Governor originally issued a disaster declaration in late May for 34 counties along the border and then amended the declaration in late June to only include the 28 counties that locally declared a disaster and agreed to partner with the state on its border security efforts — including arresting and detaining people for crimes related to the border crisis. The renewed disaster declaration now includes 43 Texas counties in South Texas and along the border that have joined in on this state partnership and declared their own local disaster.

Governor Abbott’s disaster declaration provides more resources and strategies to combat the ongoing influx of unlawful immigrants and authorizes the use of all necessary and available state and local resources to protect landowners in these counties from trespassers and the damage caused to private property.

“Our ongoing response to the border crisis is made stronger by our partnership with local officials and law enforcement in South Texas and along the border, and I thank them for their dedication to keeping their communities safe,” said Governor Abbott. “We will continue to secure the border by quelling the influx of unlawful border crossings and cracking down on crimes associated with illegal immigration.”

Counties included in the disaster declaration are Bee, Brewster, Brooks, Colorado, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, DeWitt, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Hudspeth, Jackson, Jeff Davis, Jim Hogg, Kenedy, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Live Oak, Mason, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Throckmorton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Wharton, Zapata, and Zavala.

View the Governor’s disaster declaration.