Texas Governor’s Border Slowdown Risks Backlash Before Election

Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s effort to combat illegal immigration by ramping up truck safety inspections at the border risks a backlash at the ballot box if the delays continue to disrupt shipments of goods to retailers.

Abbott, a Republican who is up for re-election on Nov. 8, has already come in for criticism from his Democratic opponent, business groups and even the state agriculture commissioner, a fellow member of the GOP. They argue that his order to require safety inspections on all trucks that cross from Mexico is doing nothing to deter smuggling or undocumented immigrants, and is wrecking havoc on cross-border commerce at a time when Americans are already suffering from high inflation.

Hardline stances on immigration are generally well-received in Texas, where Republicans dominate statewide politics, but Abbott’s popularity could take a hit if the shipping snarls result in shortages, according to Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. About $440 billion in fresh produce, electronics and machinery crossed into the U.S. via Texas-Mexico ports of entry last year.

“It’s starting to boomerang against him,” Jones said.

Business groups like the Texas Retailers Association, Texas International Produce Association and the Texas Trucking Association have expressed worry about the impacts of the increased inspections and additional delays caused by trucker protests on the Mexican side.

Earlier this week, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller blasted the crackdown on cross-border trucking as “catastrophic,” warning it could lead to food shortages.

Beto O’Rourke, Abbott’s challenger in the general election this fall, said the governor’s rule will cause inflation and hurt businesses.

Abbott led O’Rourke by eight points in a poll released earlier this month by the Hispanic Policy Foundation. Surveys have shown the governor with a consistent lead, although with less support than he received at the ballot box when he ran in 2014 and 2018.

On Wednesday, Abbott halted some inspections after the state government of Nuevo Leon in northern Mexico agreed to examine trucks before they reach the border. This helped ease the backlog of trucks along the 14-kilometer (9-mile) frontier with that state, although multi-hour delays were still reported at other crossings.