New Wyoming Bill Would Allocate Resources To Fund Border Wall

Bethany Blankley (The Center Square).

Wyoming Republican legislators are pushing legislation to allocate more than $5 Million for border security efforts in Texas and Arizona.

SF0166, “Border wall and sanctuary city transport,” was filed by Republican state Senator Larry Hicks, along with Sens. Dave Kinskey and John Kolb, along with Cheri Steinmetz, cosponsored the bill. The House companion bill was filed by Ember Oakley, Ember Oakley, Donald Burkhart and Mark Jennings, Republican state Reps.

The bill would authorize funds to construct “a border wall along the southwest land border as specified; … to aid other states in transporting non-citizens of the United States to sanctuary cities located in other states; and providing for an effective date.”

It would give $3 million to the governor’s office, which will enable the governor enter into a contract to finance construction of the wall along with transporting non-citizens from other countries to sanctuary cities in Texas.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Governor, was the first governor to create a border wall along state land, and also the first to transport illegal aliens from the U.S. to sanctuary cities. Announcement After the completion of the initial phase in 2012, Texas moved forward with construction of its border wall. The second phase started in December.

Wyoming’s bill would allow the money to be allocated for funding “partial construction of a permanent border wall along the southwest land border between Texas and Mexico and for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states.”

Only $250,000 is available from the $3,000,000 “to transport non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states.” The bill would state that the contract between Texas and Texas must be signed. “submit an accounting outlining legitimate and reasonable expenditures made for the construction of the permanent border wall along the southwest land border and the expenditures for transporting non-citizens of the United States from Texas to sanctuary cities in other states.”

Related: Governor Abbott: Letters to Biden Are Fine and Dandy – But How About Using Your Power to Close the Border?

The bill also would appropriate $2 million for the governor to enter into a similar contract with the state of Arizona to also contribute to Arizona’s “partial construction of a permanent border wall along the southwest land border between Arizona and Mexico and for the transportation of non-citizens of the United States from Arizona to sanctuary cities in other states.” It also stipulates that Arizona may not spend more than $250,000 on transporting illegal aliens from the country to sanctuary cities. Arizona is required to provide accounting information.

The bill would also authorize $250,000 to allow the governor to sign a contract to transport non-citizens to Florida from Florida to sanctuary towns in other states. Florida must also submit accounting documentation.

It will become effective July 1, 20,23, if passed and approved by the legislature. If the funds allocated for these states aren’t spent or obligated by July 1, 2024, the governor may expend them according to the bill language.

The bills state that the record apprehensions of illegal foreign nationals, including those on the terrorist watch list and with criminal convictions, and unprecedented amounts of drugs seized in fiscal 2022 are negatively impacting Wyoming’s residents.

It has cited over 2.3 million foreign nationals arrested at the southern border in fiscal 2022. This is nearly five times the Wyoming population. It Excludes The over 630,000 gotaways are people who illegally entered the country and managed to evade capture by law enforcement. This is more than Wyoming’s population.

Related: Report: El Paso Cleared Out Illegal Immigrant Camps Prior to Biden’s Border Visit

The Border Patrol agents seized nearly 15,000 pounds of Fentanyl in fiscal 2022. In addition, the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation reported law enforcement officers seizing over 17,000 grams of Fentanyl between 2021 and 2022. This excludes the nearly 22,000 g of fentanyl seized by Texas law enforcement in the past two years, which is enough for everyone in the U.S.

“The illegal immigration of non-citizens of the United States at the southwest land border negatively impacts the state of Wyoming’s economy and places a burden on Wyoming law enforcement agencies,” The bill states. “Construction of a permanent border along the southwest land border between the United States and Mexico constitutes a public purpose and provides substantial benefits to the health and welfare of citizens of the state of Wyoming.”

Thursday’s vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee was 3-2 in favor of the bill.

Syndicated with permission by The Center Square