1 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,160 We're back with another edition of the Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Emily Dashinski, 2 00:00:22,199 --> 00:00:25,160 culture editor here at the Federalist. As always, you can email the show 3 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,760 at radio at the Federalist dot com, follow us on x at FDR LST, 4 00:00:30,079 --> 00:00:33,479 make sure to subscribe wherever you download your podcasts, and of course over 5 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,039 at the premium version of our website, the Federalist dot com as well. 6 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,759 We're joined today by Greg Sindelar. He is the CEO over with the Texas 7 00:00:41,799 --> 00:00:47,280 Public Policy Foundation. You can go to their website at Texas Policy dot Com. 8 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,079 You can follow g. Sind Alar on x, Twitter, whatever you 9 00:00:51,119 --> 00:00:54,799 want to call it, and they also have a big policy summit coming up 10 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:59,119 down in Austin in March. Austin is a good place to be in March. 11 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,079 Greg, thanks for coming on the show, Emily, thanks for having 12 00:01:02,079 --> 00:01:03,959 me. Yeah, of course, did I get by the way, it's 13 00:01:03,959 --> 00:01:07,280 Texas Policy dot com, right, Yes, ma'am, that is all right, 14 00:01:07,359 --> 00:01:11,239 Texas Policy dot Com. Okay, perfect, And why don't you just 15 00:01:11,239 --> 00:01:14,920 start off by telling us a little bit about your policy summit that's coming up 16 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,799 here and you know, just about a month and a half. Yeah, 17 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:22,079 you know, so Texas is an interesting place because our state legislature only meets 18 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,439 every other year, and so in twenty twenty four, we actually won't be 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,159 in session, and so but it kind of is a unique opportunity for us 20 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,840 to not only kind of set the stage for the next legislative session that will 21 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:37,200 start in twenty twenty five, but also to spend a lot of time talking 22 00:01:37,239 --> 00:01:41,920 about issues that are important to Texas on the national stage. So you know, 23 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:46,840 from border security, energy policy, education, things of that nature. 24 00:01:47,359 --> 00:01:52,359 And so we bring in folks from all stripes. Obviously there's a heavy Texas 25 00:01:52,439 --> 00:01:56,319 focus. So like Governor Abbott will speak and Lieutenant Governor Patrick will speak. 26 00:01:56,719 --> 00:02:00,680 We've had Governor DeSantis come before, people like Victor Davis Hanson come before, 27 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:07,640 Ted Cruz, you know, from all across the stripe and really talk about 28 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:12,120 the things are important knowing to Texas but to our country as we kind of 29 00:02:12,159 --> 00:02:15,719 move forward. And so it's a great time. It's over a thousand people 30 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,000 attend here in Austin over the course of about two and a half days. 31 00:02:21,479 --> 00:02:23,680 And yeah, so I would encourage any of you, all your listeners to 32 00:02:23,879 --> 00:02:30,280 join us. So we're recording this the day after the Iowa caucuses, and 33 00:02:30,879 --> 00:02:35,319 one of the things I noticed in exit polls is among people who voted for 34 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,000 Ronda Santis, immigration was a really strong issue. But immigration was actually a 35 00:02:39,039 --> 00:02:45,400 really strong issue for people voting in general in Iowa. And that's always something 36 00:02:45,439 --> 00:02:49,280 the national media will wonder a loud about. You know, people that are 37 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:53,520 so far away from any border, let alone the southern border, why on 38 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:58,560 earth do they care so much about immigration. I'm going to put a pin 39 00:02:58,599 --> 00:03:02,080 in that question, but use it, Greg to actually just ask you for 40 00:03:02,560 --> 00:03:07,280 your perspective as somebody who works on the issue of immigration, the issue of 41 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:12,360 the border from a border state that is just getting hit so heavily right now, 42 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:16,360 with a mass of human suffering, can you give us some perspective. 43 00:03:16,439 --> 00:03:22,319 You know, it's January twenty twenty four. The last couple of years the 44 00:03:22,319 --> 00:03:27,479 Biden administration really was the turning point. This has been a tough time for 45 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,080 Texas. It's been a tough time for Arizona. It's been a tough time 46 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,199 for California. Texas especially, though. Can you tell us a little bit 47 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,080 about just what it's like down in Texas at the moment. Yeah, Well, 48 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:43,000 you know, we could spend probably hours just going through that. But 49 00:03:43,039 --> 00:03:46,879 I'll try to keep this very succinct. You know, if you spend any 50 00:03:46,879 --> 00:03:50,159 time at the border, and I've been all across the border from El Paso, 51 00:03:50,439 --> 00:03:54,800 you know, down to Brownsville, right, and every community there is 52 00:03:54,919 --> 00:04:00,560 just overrun, right, Like their resources are just massively strained. And what 53 00:04:00,599 --> 00:04:04,680 you see is every day is a constant influx of people in and out of 54 00:04:04,719 --> 00:04:08,439 those communities and they're just really trying to hang on. In fact, when 55 00:04:08,439 --> 00:04:13,719 you talk to people in these communities, they often ask like, well, 56 00:04:13,759 --> 00:04:16,279 how much longer should can I hang on? Will I hang on? And 57 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,839 why am I doing this? Right? And a lot of times just because 58 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:23,600 generational they've been there, they grew up there, their families are from there, 59 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:29,639 and they've lived there for generations. But it's not just along the border. 60 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:31,439 You feel that everywhere. If you go to the San Antonio Airport, 61 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,800 so just south here of Austin, you know, a lot of the people 62 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:40,360 you'll encounter are migrants that are heading across the country. And so you know, 63 00:04:40,399 --> 00:04:44,600 it's not just a unique Texas problem, but it is a problem that 64 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,560 is now really cascaded across across the country. And but we feel it most 65 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,680 acutely here because we're kind of, I guess that first line of defense. 66 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,079 And so it doesn't matter what community you're in in Texas, it doesn't matter 67 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,759 really what local party you're in. You know, if you pull this issue 68 00:05:03,399 --> 00:05:08,399 here in the state, border security is the top issue, you know, 69 00:05:08,519 --> 00:05:13,680 especially when it comes to Republicans. You know, I've talked to several statewide 70 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,759 elected officials, and I was talking to the Speaker of the Texas House and 71 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:21,519 he told me, because poll every member district, every Republican member district in 72 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:25,800 the House, and the number one issue is border security. And that didn't 73 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,720 matter if you're an Amarillo or if you're closer to the border. And so 74 00:05:30,399 --> 00:05:35,639 I think people just realize what a cataclysmic event is happening down down there, 75 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:41,720 and they want somebody, anybody to do something about it. Yeah, so 76 00:05:41,759 --> 00:05:44,600 I had some of the numbers jumbled up in my head. Actually, I'm 77 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:47,160 going to correct myself that when an exit polls, voters were asked in Iole 78 00:05:47,199 --> 00:05:51,040 which one of these four issues mattered most in deciding him to support today. 79 00:05:51,959 --> 00:05:58,199 Of the people who said so, immigration was thirty four percent overall, but 80 00:05:58,319 --> 00:06:01,920 sixty four percent of those who immigration were Trump voters. Eighteen percent of those 81 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:06,800 who answered immigration were DeSantis voters, and immigration came in just behind the economy 82 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,199 overall. So the economy was at thirty eight percent of all voters. Immigration 83 00:06:11,279 --> 00:06:15,120 came in at thirty four percent of all voters. And again people say we 84 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,720 was a non border state, this is Iowa. Texas is sort of famous 85 00:06:19,759 --> 00:06:26,439 for really pioneering the strategy of putting the screws to sanctuary cities like where I 86 00:06:26,439 --> 00:06:30,560 am right now, Washington, d C. New York City, and you 87 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:36,399 know, trying to offload some of the just impossible social burden that's pushing people 88 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:42,240 deeper into suffering at in places like El Paso, in places like Brownsville, 89 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,279 and bringing migrants voluntarily where they want to go, places like New York and 90 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:53,120 DC. Greg, can you talk to us just a little bit about how 91 00:06:53,519 --> 00:06:58,720 Governor Abbott has handled this because we could talk all day about the federal level, 92 00:06:58,759 --> 00:07:01,959 and we'll get to that just a second, but how Governor Abbott specifically 93 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,040 in recent years of Operation Lone Star. Are there are all kinds of very 94 00:07:06,079 --> 00:07:11,839 particular things that he's done. What approach has he taken locally in Texas? 95 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,279 Yeah, you know, and It depends on how far you want to go 96 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:16,560 back. But you know, I would say, you know, at the 97 00:07:16,639 --> 00:07:20,519 end of the Trump admin we had one of the more secure boarders we've had 98 00:07:20,959 --> 00:07:24,800 in a while. And you know, and I think that we'll get into 99 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,480 the federal stuff in a minute, but that goes to show that the tools 100 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,920 are there for the feil government. But the reason I highlight that is on 101 00:07:30,959 --> 00:07:34,800 the state level, we haven't had a governor or a state have to deal 102 00:07:34,839 --> 00:07:41,920 with the issue of the Feds just abdicating the responsibility in such a overwhelming fashion 103 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:47,399 as we have since the current administration. The bid administration came into power. 104 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,720 And you know, we've written a lot about this here at TPF and we 105 00:07:51,759 --> 00:07:56,120 talked a lot about this, but you know, it's become adversarial, right 106 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,879 you know, Texas is in the middle of two maybe three. I can't 107 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,600 if they filed the one lawsuit yet on the on the border, and what 108 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:07,160 Texas is trying to do and specifically what Governor Abbott is trying to do, 109 00:08:07,439 --> 00:08:13,839 is orodd the federal government to do anything to stem the tide, you know, 110 00:08:13,959 --> 00:08:16,519 and that's the reason that so many that he's sending so many of these 111 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:22,319 folks voluntarily on these buses to New York and Chicago and other places like that. 112 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,720 And that's the reason that we've we've passed laws like we just passed last 113 00:08:26,199 --> 00:08:28,959 legislative session. That's the reason we put up the Booie is the reason we 114 00:08:28,959 --> 00:08:35,000 put up the razor wire. Is that we're trying to to push and and 115 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,399 and and and ensure that the federal government does it's it's duty. And so 116 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,080 it's just been really difficult. But you know, Abbot specifically, it has 117 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,360 just been trying to add as many tools tools toolbox as he can. So 118 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,200 Operation Loan Star and getting people down there has been good, but it's not 119 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:54,919 a good long term solution, right, And it's just trying to put as 120 00:08:54,919 --> 00:08:58,480 many fingers in the dike as you can until the federal government actually does what 121 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,000 they need to do. But I think Texas is starting to look at this 122 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:05,480 as like we can't be in this position forever, and so we got to 123 00:09:05,519 --> 00:09:07,919 start making some more permanent solutions. And so we looked at things like creating 124 00:09:07,919 --> 00:09:15,799 a border force and more funding for our law enforcement officials, especially focused on 125 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:20,600 the border. And so I think that it's just it's really a multi front 126 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:26,639 battle that Texas is facing and governors leading to try to stem the tide as 127 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:30,879 much as possible. And that's really where the rubber meets the road that you 128 00:09:30,919 --> 00:09:35,200 mean, Greg Abbott, And I know there's debate over even on the right, 129 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:37,879 there's debate over what Greg Abbott has done in the wisdom of what Greg 130 00:09:37,879 --> 00:09:41,440 Abbott has done in Texas. Has it gone too far and not far enough? 131 00:09:41,759 --> 00:09:43,519 I think probably a lot of people fall into the not far enough camp. 132 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:48,399 But again, this is a raging debate. Yet there's only so much 133 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,759 that any governor could do. Donald Trump could be the governor of Texas. 134 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:56,799 And so long as Joe Biden's asylum policy is what Joe Biden's asylum policy is, 135 00:09:56,879 --> 00:10:01,039 you're going to continue to see people to to see people flooding up through 136 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,200 Central America into Mexico. Greg could you talk to us just a little bit 137 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:13,440 about how the Biden administration's approach to asylum, in particular with CBP one and 138 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:18,720 you know, all of the different sort of bureaucratic machinations that they've really quietly 139 00:10:18,759 --> 00:10:22,679 been using, how that's affected Texas. Can you talk to us a little 140 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,279 bit about that? Yeah, absolutely, you know, and as I said 141 00:10:26,279 --> 00:10:28,440 earlier, you know when at the end of the Trump deminstration, the border 142 00:10:28,519 --> 00:10:31,279 was fairly secure, and that number one, that was because it remained in 143 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,360 Mexico. And that's an asylum policy. You know, people were coming over 144 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,360 here and we're claiming asylum. We we're sending them back to the last country 145 00:10:39,399 --> 00:10:43,960 they went through that was safe arbor, right, and so that's you remain 146 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:48,639 in Mexico until your asylum claim is adjudicated. And so when the the Biden 147 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:54,559 adminstration removed that, it just created an influx right and then you have catch 148 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:58,519 and release, and it really sent a signal to everybody that hey, the 149 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,679 southern border is is wide open, and these are the things you have to 150 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,000 do to gain the system, and you can overrun it so much that now 151 00:11:05,039 --> 00:11:13,919 we're seeing years wait time just to judicate asylum claims. And it's it's it's 152 00:11:13,039 --> 00:11:16,960 just not serving our country, is not serving our state, and it's it's 153 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:22,919 a it's a real shame right that our federal government is is completely and only 154 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:28,120 abdicated this. Uh, their ability to protect our border and your sovereignty and 155 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:33,039 rule of law are important things that create a country. But what they are 156 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:39,720 really doing is they've they've abdicated our border to the cartels, right who you 157 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,120 know, I gave a speech in Mexico about a year and a half ago 158 00:11:41,399 --> 00:11:45,480 and the title of that speech was nobody crosses for free. And the point 159 00:11:45,639 --> 00:11:50,240 is that every single migrant that comes across is being trafficked by the cartels, 160 00:11:50,279 --> 00:11:54,600 and so by a lot doing these asylum. Doing asylum in this way, 161 00:11:54,639 --> 00:11:58,840 we are allowing the cartels to make millions and millions billions of dollars really off 162 00:11:58,879 --> 00:12:03,120 the backs of these people who are trying to get to America and do it 163 00:12:03,279 --> 00:12:09,799 and not through our regular channels. And so it's just a quagmire is probably 164 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,159 the nicest term I could use for but it is a self created one by 165 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:18,639 the Biden administration. And it all starts with how they are adjudicating these asylum 166 00:12:18,639 --> 00:12:22,919 claims. If they just went back, if they stopped catching release and they 167 00:12:22,919 --> 00:12:28,960 went back to remain in Mexico, then then we could really stematize really quickly 168 00:12:28,759 --> 00:12:37,720 with new migrants here at our border. All Right, You've got to hear 169 00:12:37,759 --> 00:12:41,879 about this game changing product that people are using before a night out with some 170 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,240 drinks. It's called z biotics. Z Biotics pre alcohol probiotic drink is the 171 00:12:46,279 --> 00:12:52,320 world's first genetically engineered probiotic. 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Yeah, when we 189 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,080 went down to the border when title forty two was kind of going back and 190 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:22,960 forth almost two years ago. Now every single person, every single person that 191 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,960 we talked to had paid the cartels. That's not unique to us, as 192 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:30,240 you said, Greg, that's absolutely everybody in general. But that brings us 193 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:33,480 to another big question. And I know this WAGH is really heavily on the 194 00:14:33,519 --> 00:14:37,720 minds of people in Texas, but certainly ways heavily on the minds of people 195 00:14:37,759 --> 00:14:41,159 in Iowa who are listing. Immigration is one of the biggest issues for them. 196 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:46,080 People are are always, I think rightfully confused about what the government means 197 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:50,799 when it says known god aways about what the government means when it says people 198 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,039 from the You know, a couple hundred people from the terrorist watch list have 199 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,559 crossed under Biden. I don't know the exact figure, but numbers like that 200 00:14:56,759 --> 00:15:03,440 because it's sort of staggering to think of what we don't know. Who we 201 00:15:03,519 --> 00:15:05,840 don't know really is the best way to put it, but also what we 202 00:15:05,879 --> 00:15:09,879 don't know in terms of gang affiliations, connections, drugs, weapons, et 203 00:15:09,919 --> 00:15:13,559 cetera. That is coming into the country And you guys, are you see 204 00:15:13,559 --> 00:15:18,360 this first in Texas? Obviously it makes its way elsewhere. There have been 205 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,840 you know, rings caught in Maine, in other states, in the mountain 206 00:15:22,919 --> 00:15:28,440 west of Cartel activity and all of that. Can you talk to us, 207 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:33,799 Greg, just a little bit about how the sort of unknown factor when we're 208 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,919 looking at the numbers and the information that we do know, and it tells 209 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:39,639 us sort of a little bit about what we don't know. But as we 210 00:15:39,799 --> 00:15:43,399 you know, you've studied that obviously closely, looked at it really closely. 211 00:15:43,399 --> 00:15:48,360 What could be here in the country based on what we can know? Yeah, 212 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,039 well, that's the hard thing is, you know, how do you 213 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:56,159 quantify something that you don't really have hard fast data on. But what we 214 00:15:56,399 --> 00:16:00,480 you know, obviously we know the encounters that Board Patrol has had, but 215 00:16:00,559 --> 00:16:04,960 we know that the vast majority, you know, maybe ten percent, that's 216 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,320 only ten percent of what is coming across, you know, and the cartels 217 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,559 are really smart about the way they do this, right Like, if they're 218 00:16:11,559 --> 00:16:15,200 trying to move certain individuals or they're trying to move drugs, right like, 219 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:22,480 they will create scenarios where it draws and sucks in all the law enforcement so 220 00:16:22,559 --> 00:16:25,519 that they can then move on the outside of that. Right And so we 221 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,000 hear stories about this time and time again. But you know, the estimates 222 00:16:30,039 --> 00:16:33,200 by is that every year, in the last couple of years, we've added 223 00:16:34,080 --> 00:16:41,000 you know, somewhere between seven fifteen million, you know, undocumented immigrants into 224 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:44,519 into the country. You know, that's give some context, right, Like, 225 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,519 that's you know, the greater Houston area. You know, we're adding 226 00:16:47,559 --> 00:16:52,639 that every year. Let's just not sustainable. That's you know, my home 227 00:16:52,679 --> 00:16:55,159 state, the state I was born in, Nebraska only has like a million 228 00:16:55,159 --> 00:16:57,759 people. You know, that's like, you know, seven to fifteen Nebraska 229 00:16:57,879 --> 00:17:02,039 is a year coming in, right Like, It's just an overwhelming amount of 230 00:17:02,039 --> 00:17:06,319 people. And so you see the strain it has on our social services. 231 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:11,240 You see the strain it has on our society as a whole. And and 232 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,079 we're just not doing anything about it. And so that the numbers are just 233 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,680 staggering. And that's why you've seen it from being maybe an issue where you 234 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:23,160 is more acutely felt and known at the border and places close to the border. 235 00:17:23,519 --> 00:17:26,880 And now that's why a lot of the presidential candidates will say this, 236 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:30,480 and they're absolutely right, is that every state is a border state, every 237 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,920 city is a border city. Because when you go down there and you talk 238 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,240 to these folks, you've been down there, they're going everywhere. They're going 239 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,519 to Portland, they're going to Denver, They're they're going to Boston, they're 240 00:17:40,559 --> 00:17:44,640 you know, they're they're all over the place, and it's it creates a 241 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,200 strain no matter where they go. And it's millions, We're talking millions and 242 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:53,279 millions of people every year that are coming in and we're just not doing anything 243 00:17:53,319 --> 00:17:57,799 about it. And fentanyl is, uh, you know, a problem all 244 00:17:57,799 --> 00:18:03,119 over the country obviously, and another interesting thing about it is it's across all 245 00:18:03,279 --> 00:18:10,160 kind of income demographic groups. It's just having just a credible effect on the 246 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:12,200 country as a whole, from coast to coast. I'm curious, Greg, 247 00:18:12,319 --> 00:18:17,240 what the scene for fentanyl looks like in Texas, obviously, because fentanyl so 248 00:18:17,319 --> 00:18:22,000 often is coming up through the poorest Texas border in various ways. What can 249 00:18:22,039 --> 00:18:26,720 you tell us about how those drugs are getting trapped through borders, like you 250 00:18:26,759 --> 00:18:30,000 know Texas's border with Mexico of course, also that includes Arizona, California. 251 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,559 And what you know, if you're on the streets of Austin, like your 252 00:18:33,559 --> 00:18:38,039 guys is building amazing. You're so close to the capital and yet I imagine 253 00:18:38,079 --> 00:18:45,079 you see fentanyl sort of ravaging people in big cities all throughout Texas. Yeah, 254 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:48,680 and you know, and it's not just ravaging you know, the quote 255 00:18:48,759 --> 00:18:52,200 unquote junkie community, right, the hardcore users. You know, people you 256 00:18:52,279 --> 00:18:56,599 might see near thirty five here in Austin around the homeless center. You know, 257 00:18:57,319 --> 00:19:02,359 absolutely they're being ravaged by this and they're being exploited by this. But 258 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:04,240 you see it everywhere. You see in our schools. There's a reason that 259 00:19:04,279 --> 00:19:08,720 it's you know, top killer for you know kids, you know, was 260 00:19:08,759 --> 00:19:15,359 it like sixteen to thirty or whatever the age brackets are. And it's not 261 00:19:15,519 --> 00:19:18,000 uncommon to hear about kids who are trying to buy adderall or something else off 262 00:19:18,039 --> 00:19:22,359 the streets and they they end up it's laced with fentyl, right, and 263 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:29,119 they overdose. And the problem with fentyl is it's such a such a small 264 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,559 amount can can kill you, but such a small amount can also get you 265 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,960 high. That it makes it easier to traffic because you don't need you don't 266 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,200 have to hide as much. And you know, and and kind of to 267 00:19:41,279 --> 00:19:44,359 my point earlier, you know, the way they'll do it is they will 268 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,759 send one hundred migrants and bring in all that law enforcement that will have to 269 00:19:48,799 --> 00:19:52,079 then process all these people and figure that out. And then while they're dealing 270 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:55,079 with that, you know, outside of that perimeter, they'll they'll send the 271 00:19:55,160 --> 00:20:00,680 drugs drugs through and so it just kind of flows through, and it's just 272 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,160 it's just really sad. Right. You know, if you go to any 273 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:07,880 major city, not just here in Texas, but in the country, you 274 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:12,000 can see the effects that this drug is having on people, and they're just 275 00:20:12,279 --> 00:20:17,200 zombies. And that's if they live through it. And you know, and 276 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:22,240 even even sadder than that, right as the kids who are oding in our 277 00:20:22,279 --> 00:20:25,799 schools, you know, I just here south of Austin and Hayes County, 278 00:20:25,839 --> 00:20:30,000 I think they had three kids last fall that that odd matter a couple of 279 00:20:30,039 --> 00:20:34,720 weeks from each other, right, and so it happens everywhere. And you 280 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,359 know, the one thing that we aren't always thinking about is the ingredients for 281 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,400 this are coming from China, and it's either being manufactured over there and brought 282 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:45,359 through Mexico and up through a border. Are the ingredients are brought to Mexico, 283 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:51,559 manufactured there, and then brought through our border. And so it's it's 284 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:56,920 it's really a devious and terrible what they're able to to do to the American 285 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:02,799 public through such an addictive, dangerous drug. You know, I've seen Henry 286 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:07,400 quay Are obviously a Texas Democrat, doing more and more events with Senator Tuvid 287 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,799 Cruz, obviously a Texas Republican, and he's always been sort of against his 288 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,400 party's establishment line when it comes to immigration, partially because it would be impossible 289 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,960 in the state of Texas, where you see all of this up close, 290 00:21:18,079 --> 00:21:23,720 not to be But at the same time, the Texas Left actually maintains some 291 00:21:23,759 --> 00:21:30,279 people in the Texas Left actually still maintain these sort of absurd positions on immigration, 292 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,799 even though their constituents see a lot of those happening before their eyes. 293 00:21:33,039 --> 00:21:37,680 Can you talk to us, Greg just a little bit about how Democrats in 294 00:21:37,839 --> 00:21:41,920 Texas are handling this influx. I mean, again just to emphasize the numbers 295 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,720 that we saw in twenty twenty three and even what we've seen early this year 296 00:21:45,799 --> 00:21:48,599 in twenty twenty four, I mean, we're taping this in mid January, 297 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,440 are staggering. I mean, it is just an incredible, massive humanity that 298 00:21:53,559 --> 00:22:00,759 is making these impossible trips up through Central America, Derry Gap in New Mexico, 299 00:22:00,039 --> 00:22:06,559 at great danger, always at you know, always always boosting the financial 300 00:22:06,599 --> 00:22:10,440 status of the cartels, the power of the cartels with every single human being. 301 00:22:11,759 --> 00:22:14,480 And Democrats in Texas, where are they on all of this? Greg, 302 00:22:15,799 --> 00:22:18,599 Well, the unfortunate news is they're much like the federal government, they've 303 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:22,920 kind of abdicated the playing field. You do have people like Henry Koyar who 304 00:22:23,759 --> 00:22:26,119 you know, it's kind of funny is you have the people that aren't like 305 00:22:26,319 --> 00:22:30,440 totally insane and somehow, you know, it's a very low bar for for 306 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,359 that. And it's not that Quaar is always the best on this, but 307 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:41,440 he is willing to have honest conversations and I've always found him to be somebody 308 00:22:41,519 --> 00:22:45,640 that we can engage and have serious conversations about this. You know, when 309 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,119 I look at the state legislature, you know here in Texas, you know, 310 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:55,960 a lot of the Democrats are unwilling to lead or touch on it because 311 00:22:56,119 --> 00:23:03,039 they are affected by kind of national thought leadership on the issue. But there 312 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:04,240 are some, especially in the vallet. You know, if you want to 313 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:10,240 look at a reason South Texas is turning red, it is because of this 314 00:23:10,319 --> 00:23:14,440 issue. It is because their their communities are actually hit the hardest as much 315 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:19,160 as every single Hispanics in the valley, right Yeah, Hispanics, especially ones 316 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:26,119 that have come over legally, are some of the most hardcore border security folks 317 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:32,680 that I've come across, and they understand how much it's ravaged their communities and 318 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:37,920 how uninhabitable at times it's made their communities, and that is what they want 319 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,960 addressed. And when you're just unwilling to even engage in conversations, or if 320 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:47,920 you do, you start getting into you start calling everyone a xenophobe or bigot 321 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:49,960 and things like that, Well those aren't serious conversations, right Like, it's 322 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:56,119 ignoring the fact that this is really an issue that is affecting the lives of 323 00:23:56,200 --> 00:24:03,240 a lot of people that are Typicallymocrat voters. And I think the reason you're 324 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:07,920 seeing changing part of the affiliation is because they're tired of no one doing anything 325 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:12,440 about it, and so they're willing to give a look to Republicans and people 326 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:18,839 like Donald Trump and other folks to to and and you know, Tony Gonzalez, 327 00:24:18,839 --> 00:24:22,160 who has the largest border district in the in the whole country, to 328 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,960 say like, okay, well maybe you can help solve this problem. And 329 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:29,559 it's it's really interesting, and you do have some folks who are saying but 330 00:24:29,559 --> 00:24:32,960 then you also have folks like Congressman Great Casar, who came out of you 331 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:37,880 know, the Union organizing here in Austin and the City Council and is now 332 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,440 as progressive as AOC and doesn't want to do anything about it. And so 333 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:47,000 you have that progressive element that is overtaking, you know, kind of these 334 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:52,519 sensible liberal element of the Democrat Party. And that's the more existential crisis that 335 00:24:52,559 --> 00:24:56,319 they probably face as a party because if they don't do something about it, 336 00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:02,759 then it will really make people feel like they're not serious about a major major 337 00:25:02,839 --> 00:25:04,839 issue. You know, it wasn't that long ago that Bernie Sanders and Barack 338 00:25:04,839 --> 00:25:11,079 Obama wanted to do a lot about border security, right, and so it's 339 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:17,240 just interesting how the times have changed that and as a party, they aren't 340 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:21,480 seeming to recognize that right now. Have you guys looked into just specifically in 341 00:25:21,519 --> 00:25:26,319 the Texas economy, what this like spigot of cheap labor that's been turned on 342 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:32,039 and then just like you know, completely turned on, like screwed so hard 343 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:37,160 that it's like bursting to continue torturing this metaphor of us, think what has 344 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:41,960 that done to workers in Texas? If you do, you guys have information, 345 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:42,519 have you been able to look at it? I mean, it's kind 346 00:25:42,519 --> 00:25:47,160 of a hard thing to study, but just logically you would assume that that 347 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:51,160 has not been great for the middle class. Yeah, it has it. 348 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,319 We don't have any studies on that because it's very hard to get you know, 349 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:57,039 I would say, reputable data on it. But we do know that 350 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:03,839 there are other societal costs, right, like the cost to educate and healthcare 351 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,519 and all these things that go along with this. And so you do have 352 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:11,759 the government spending that has increased dramatically, and I've seen studies that you know 353 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:18,119 has has that and the you know, billions of dollars as well that that 354 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:22,519 it has cost taxes. But yeah, you know, if you're you know, 355 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:26,400 it's simple economics, right, Like it's supply and demand. If your 356 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:32,880 supply is far overpacing your demand, then you will have distortions in the market. 357 00:26:32,920 --> 00:26:36,880 And that's that's that would be the concern, right And that's a lot 358 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:38,599 of where the America First movement was born out of is that people are like, 359 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,559 you know, you're not really looking out for Americans, and we got 360 00:26:41,599 --> 00:26:45,640 to look out for America, our country and our people first and foremost and 361 00:26:45,759 --> 00:26:49,160 figure out how to assimilate and integrate, you know, those who want to 362 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:55,440 come here and and and provide you know, value through their their labor and 363 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:59,319 their culture and all these other things. But right now it's just such an 364 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:03,519 open space yet that it's kind of I think everyone kind of feels like they're 365 00:27:03,559 --> 00:27:07,799 they're they're drowning. And then the other thing is these folks that are here 366 00:27:07,799 --> 00:27:15,599 illegally, like they're absolutely being taken advantage of by employers often cases, and 367 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:19,200 you know, and they have to worry about that. And then the cartels. 368 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:22,880 A lot of times it's in dentured servitude where they have you know, 369 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:26,880 loans quote unquote loans that they have to pay off, and so you know, 370 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:30,799 it's just a never ending cycle of abuse that all the way around, 371 00:27:30,839 --> 00:27:36,599 where everyone is getting exploited and the only people coming out on top are the 372 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:41,799 cartels. The Watched Out on Wall Street podcast with Chris Markowski. Every day 373 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,759 Chris helps unpack the connection between politics and the economy and how it affects your 374 00:27:45,799 --> 00:27:49,640 wallet. After taking a longer holiday break than you, Congress had to go 375 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,559 back to work. And what did they do? Pass yet another stop gap 376 00:27:53,599 --> 00:27:57,960 spending bill to kick the can down the road until March. You keep paying 377 00:27:59,039 --> 00:28:02,799 taxes, they continue to not fund the border. Whether it's happening in DC 378 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,839 or down on Wall Street, it's affecting you financially. Be informed. Check 379 00:28:04,839 --> 00:28:08,359 out the Watchdot on Wall Street podcast with Chris Markowski on Apple, Spotify, 380 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:15,839 or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, if our listeners haven't read that 381 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:19,359 a New York Times deep dive into the indentured servitude and the abuse of children 382 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:26,000 labor abuses of children that was published last year, commend it to everyone because 383 00:28:26,039 --> 00:28:30,640 it's still happening. Essentially, nothing has happened policy wise to prevent any of 384 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:33,960 this. And Greg, that's where I want to go next, we saw 385 00:28:34,079 --> 00:28:38,559 immigration once again become the kind of the typical political football. As Republicans and 386 00:28:38,599 --> 00:28:44,960 Democrats we're working on year end spending. They're working on another deal right now. 387 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:48,880 I'm not sure to what extent immigration will be part of that. You 388 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:55,119 know, the Biden administration has basically agreed to the easiest things for Democrats to 389 00:28:55,200 --> 00:29:00,400 agree on, which is, you know, adding money to border, give 390 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,160 them more money, give them more resources, et cetera, et cetera. 391 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:07,759 But I imagine Greg again as you watch this conversation pan out, the one 392 00:29:07,799 --> 00:29:12,599 thing they won't agree to is seriously changing asylum laws. Do you see any 393 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:18,119 hope even as you know Republicans at least supposedly numerically have a majority in the 394 00:29:18,119 --> 00:29:26,680 House of Representatives, do you see any major policy achievements or victories for everyone 395 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:33,039 who's concerned about this in the near future? Oh, man a question. 396 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:36,640 I think you get a new administration. Yeah, And that's the frustrating part 397 00:29:36,759 --> 00:29:40,599 is, you know, policy wise, on the federal level, there's nothing 398 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,039 that's changed, you know from the Trump admin to the Biden Admin. That 399 00:29:44,039 --> 00:29:47,599 the Biden admin could do all of the things that Trump admin was doing, 400 00:29:47,599 --> 00:29:51,000 because a lot of it was via executive order, and there's nothing Congress has 401 00:29:51,079 --> 00:29:56,079 done to clamp down on their ability to do that. They're just unwilling to 402 00:29:56,079 --> 00:29:57,559 do it. And I think that is almost the most frustrating thing. And 403 00:29:57,559 --> 00:30:00,759 so I think with the w up, but maybe a new administration, whether 404 00:30:00,839 --> 00:30:07,000 that's Trump coming back or whoever else, or maybe a change of heart for 405 00:30:07,079 --> 00:30:11,160 President Biden. Who knows, you could you could start seeing that. You 406 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:12,880 know. On the state side, you know, there are a lot of 407 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:18,480 things. You know, we pass Center Bill four here in Texas which made 408 00:30:18,759 --> 00:30:22,000 a state felony to uh ours the House before, I can't remember visit it, 409 00:30:22,359 --> 00:30:25,079 but I can't remember the exact name. It doesn't matter, but we 410 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:30,119 made a state felony for a legal entry right and so allows law enforcement to 411 00:30:30,160 --> 00:30:34,799 detain and take legal migrants in front of a magistrate to you know, they 412 00:30:34,799 --> 00:30:38,799 can either go to jail for the state felony or they can return back to 413 00:30:40,279 --> 00:30:42,119 Mexico. And it's not the be all, end all, but it at 414 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:48,839 least creates a disruption in this and I think sets up maybe some ability for 415 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:53,200 the states to start getting more involved and maybe sets up our ability to challenge 416 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:59,200 Arizona b US which has really kind of curtailed the state's ability to be active 417 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:10,160 in the uh UH in immigration and border policy. And so my an horison. 418 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,640 But I think long term, in the next year or two, you'll 419 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,680 start seeing more and more. Was it was sorry, I didn't mean to 420 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:21,039 interrupt, but was that the Jan Brewer SB ten seventy case. No, 421 00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:23,920 it's uh, the area was in the last leg savee session. It just 422 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:30,240 passed and like right around Thanksgiving and the governor signed it and do o J. 423 00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:33,200 I'm trying to remember exactly where it is if DJ has filed suit or 424 00:31:33,319 --> 00:31:37,359 just said that they are going to file suit, but it literally just went 425 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:45,559 into effect, and so but it's it's a yeah, that's but Arizona v. 426 00:31:45,759 --> 00:31:49,359 U S was the that was yeah, back in that the Brewer like 427 00:31:51,799 --> 00:31:53,759 yes, sorry, yes, oh no. That's actually really interesting though, 428 00:31:53,759 --> 00:32:00,920 because I'm thinking back to John and David and I were talking to a pastor 429 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:07,720 who runs a shelter in Matamoros, and he always pointed to he actually said 430 00:32:07,759 --> 00:32:13,400 it was an Obama administration policy when they got rid of the policy that you 431 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:17,599 could flee Cuba, touch the ground in Florida and get asylum status of the 432 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:22,400 United States. When that changed, people started carving out these like literal pathways 433 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:29,119 through Central America. Cuban stood into Mexico and crossing that way, and that 434 00:32:29,279 --> 00:32:31,279 was around twenty ten. That was like right around the same time. And 435 00:32:31,319 --> 00:32:37,440 so he said, it's really never been the same since these early Obama era 436 00:32:37,519 --> 00:32:44,519 policies happened. Trump sort of was able to stanch the flow briefly. It's 437 00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:46,440 the spigots turned back on with Biden. But yeah, Greg, I mean, 438 00:32:46,559 --> 00:32:49,839 I guess I'm curious for your perspective on that too. Like this is 439 00:32:50,279 --> 00:32:54,160 at this point, we're over a decade of policy where we're not seeing Reagan 440 00:32:54,279 --> 00:32:59,680 numbers, we're not seeing Bush one or two numbers, We're seeing something totally 441 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,160 different. Yeah, and well, and I would I would say that that's 442 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:07,480 where conservative and the most frustrated because this is decades actually in the making right 443 00:33:07,519 --> 00:33:14,200 where no one's taking border security. Uh, they've never taken it seriously and 444 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,759 and uh. And so that's why it's important that the states stand up and 445 00:33:17,759 --> 00:33:22,440 do something. You know, and Abbot's gotten you know, a few several 446 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:24,400 of the governors around and I know, you know, DeSantis has been part 447 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:30,359 of this and stit in Oklahoma and Reynolds and Iowa and uh and and many 448 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:34,400 of the other Republican governors. But you know the problem is if you look 449 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:39,119 at our southern border right like New Mexico and Arizona, California, you know, 450 00:33:39,559 --> 00:33:43,920 they're they're not trying to do as much. And so it's you know, 451 00:33:44,000 --> 00:33:47,640 Texas can do what can do what it can to try to protect itself, 452 00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:52,160 but you know, America is still wide open even if Texas is able 453 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,720 to clamp down. It's just that you take the easiest routes out of there, 454 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:59,880 and then it becomes even more dangerous because you're going through desert and really, 455 00:34:00,359 --> 00:34:06,000 uh horrendous, you know, desert that for a lot of these migrants, 456 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:12,360 and so you know, it's it's extremely frustrating. But I think the 457 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,159 good thing is Conservatives actually seemed very unified on the issue, probably more so 458 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:21,159 than they have been in you know, you know, ten twenty years, 459 00:34:21,519 --> 00:34:24,039 and so I think, you know, that gives me optimism that that we 460 00:34:24,119 --> 00:34:29,679 will be working together to stend the flow. And if you look at things 461 00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:32,360 that this Speaker Mike Johnson has said, and several members of the House, 462 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:37,440 even some of the folks in the Senate. I think we can potentially see 463 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:44,199 some realization and movement in DC where at least it's like, hey, if 464 00:34:44,239 --> 00:34:46,639 you want to continue sending funny to Ukraine, or you want to do this 465 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,960 or that, Well, we also got to set aside some money for the 466 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,599 border. We got to take this a lot more seriously. And I think 467 00:34:52,599 --> 00:34:57,719 as the election looms, this administration's you know, you look at polling, 468 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:00,159 as we talked about earlier, earlier on, you have to do something about 469 00:35:00,159 --> 00:35:07,079 it. Otherwise you're setting yourself up for probably not a very good election cycle 470 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:13,320 if you're if you're not willing to be serious about the crisis actually emanating from 471 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:19,079 our border. This might sound like a really stupid question. Do cartels have 472 00:35:19,119 --> 00:35:23,039 any influence over Texas politics? And maybe I'll just add yet, is there 473 00:35:23,039 --> 00:35:29,599 any I mean, obviously Mexico's rife with corruption, but is there a serious 474 00:35:29,679 --> 00:35:37,000 risk or potentially any evidence that there's a relationship or or relationships between cartels and 475 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:43,360 politicians or special interests in Texas themselves. Well, I would be really careful 476 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:45,760 about that because I don't want to accuse anyone of being on the take. 477 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:52,440 But what I would say is Mexico to me as a failed narco state at 478 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:57,639 this point, right, you know, Amlo, the reverence he shows for 479 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:04,320 the cartels is it's breadthtaking. And how open he is about it, and 480 00:36:04,360 --> 00:36:08,519 the fact that he's openly campaigned against you know, Republicans specifically because of some 481 00:36:08,559 --> 00:36:15,599 of our border security policy shows you that there's probably some financial gain and there's 482 00:36:15,599 --> 00:36:19,639 probably a lot of financial gain in it for him with if we keep things 483 00:36:19,679 --> 00:36:22,599 the way they are, and that's because the cartels are making so much money. 484 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,400 The concern would be right that you know, there's a way that things 485 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:30,880 are run in Mexico and can that and will that infiltrate Texas? And has 486 00:36:30,920 --> 00:36:35,719 that infiltrated I? You know, I don't. I want to be careful 487 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:40,840 not to speculate on that because I haven't seen anything in particular, but knowing 488 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:45,800 that that's the mo of these organizations, it makes you wonder, right, 489 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:52,079 and when you see legislators being unwilling to challenge uh these issues and take these 490 00:36:52,159 --> 00:36:57,960 issues seriously, it makes you wonder. But I haven't seen anything that makes 491 00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,039 me think that it has fully infiltrated Texas, But that would be the concern, 492 00:37:01,079 --> 00:37:05,400 and that's why this is such an important issues. At the core of 493 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:12,559 this issue is the rule of law, and if we're unwilling to enforce the 494 00:37:12,639 --> 00:37:15,519 rule of law at our border, where else are we're going to be unwilling 495 00:37:15,559 --> 00:37:20,119 to enforce laws? And what kind of corruption comes with that and seeps into 496 00:37:20,199 --> 00:37:24,440 whether it's local government, state governments, or federal government officials. And would 497 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:29,599 it surprise me to know that there are government officials somewhere in Texas who are 498 00:37:30,119 --> 00:37:32,800 on the take of the cartels. No, it wouldn't. But I think 499 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:38,239 the longer we allow this crisis to go on, the more likely that that 500 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:44,119 becomes, and the more prevalent it becomes. And we cannot afford for that 501 00:37:44,159 --> 00:37:49,480 to become a regular way of life the way it has in Mexico and many 502 00:37:49,519 --> 00:37:54,480 other countries. Greg Sindelara is the CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation. 503 00:37:54,639 --> 00:37:59,440 You can go to Texas Policy dot com for more information. You can follow 504 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:04,920 Greg at g sinda Lar If you're on x you're on Twitter. Thank you 505 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:07,880 so much, Greg for joining the show. It was super interesting. Really 506 00:38:07,880 --> 00:38:10,800 appreciate the insight. Yeah, thank you for having me. Of course, 507 00:38:12,119 --> 00:38:15,280 you have been listening to another edition of The Federalist Radio Hour I'm Emily Taschinsky, 508 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:19,280 culture editor here at The Federalist. We'll be back soon with more. 509 00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:25,320 Until then, be lovers of freedom and anxious for the friend. You got 510 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:28,639 me right, well, you