September 4, 2014
chron.com

AUSTIN -- Ramping up their criticism of top state officials -- including many of the same Republican officeholders they earlier supported -- a coalition of conservative and tea party activists on Thursday blasted inaction by the state to stop the flow of undocumented immigrants across Texas' border with Mexico.

"What is happening is a clear dereliction of duty by our Legislature and our top state officials," JoAnn Fleming, executive director of Grassroots America, a conservative tea party group, said at a briefing at the State Capitol.

"Our message to these officials is: You've known about it since last spring, you've campaigned about it, but you've done nothing. We intend to hold you accountable."

What the groups want is for Gov. Rick Perry to call the Legislature into special session, for the state to officially designate the border crisis an emergency and then take action to send in state military forces to block all border crossers.

The groups were specifically critical of Perry's deployment of National Guard troops to the border, insisting that has done little to actually stop crossings. Mary Huls, president of the Clear Lake Tea Party, and others said the action is only helping keep in operation the federal government's controversial policy of catching and releasing border-crossers -- a policy they oppose.

"State officials are accomplices to what is happening" on the border, said Dwane Stovall, director of Keep Texas Free, a states-rights group. ""It's now time for state leaders to back up their words with action. . . and the leadership of Texas starts with the governor of Texas."

Members of the groups also expressed concern that the longer Texas' border remains unsecured, the greater the costs to the state's economy, schools and public safety. They called for officials to increase security along the Houston Ship Channel, which they insisted is a prime target for terrorist attacks but is largely unprotected.

Warning that they plan to increase their criticism about official inaction, the groups said they plan to confronting current officeholders who are seeking election in November, just two months before balloting takes place.

They blamed much of the inaction on officeholders who are making promises while running for election, but are not following through with action now that they have the authority to carry out. "The problem is political consultants and donors . . . They are stalling until after after the November elections, and that's not appropriate," Fleming said.

"Shame on our governor and all the way down for not addressing this," said Heidi Theiss, vice president of the Clear Lake Tea Party and a League City Council member who supported a controversial resolution to ban the housing of undocumented immigrant children in that city south of Houston.

Thursday's criticism marked the latest time in recent months that tea party and conservative activists have leveled criticism at current GOP state leaders, after elections gains by their candidates in spring elections bolstered their numbers and clout in the upcoming legislative session.

Weeks ago, a coalition of many of the same groups called for the Legislature to adopt a conservative, bare-bones state budget that significantly cuts spending and taxes across the board.

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