Patrick: “ — alone, if you put them in one area, the seventh largest state.
It would be the state of illegal immigrants after California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois.
The state of illegal immigrants.
And look, there are many people coming here for a job and a better life are, but that’s not our concern.
Our concern is protecting Americans and protecting Texans from the criminals that are coming, the drugs that are coming.
And let me tell you this, Maria.
This is a stat that many people have never heard.
We’ve arrested 13,163 smugglers since we started Operation Lone Star several years ago.
90% of those smugglers are U.S. citizens.
The drug cartels work with the gangs to distribute their drugs.
They also work with the gangs to give them specific GPS coordinates where to pick up people crossing the border illegally.
This year we passed Senate Bill 4, I believe was the exact number, Senator Pete Flores passed this bill that now in Texas, when we arrest you, you’re an American citizen, a minimum of 10 years in prison if you’re a smuggler.
But imagine that, 13,000 smugglers, almost all U.S. citizens, 90%, in coordination with the cartels.
That’s why, Maria, when I say it’s an invasion, it is an invasion.
It’s a cartel army.
You know, the Founders never dreamed we’d have a president like this one who would just open the door to everyone and said, well, invasion if an army came.
Well, we’re facing an army.”