Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced a new program to help landowners who are adversely impacted by border crime.
The Landowner Compensation Program will provide financial relief for damages to private property caused by border-related criminal trespass that are not covered by other sources, according to the official news release. For instance, the money could be used to repair fences that have been cut or crashed into by human traffickers.
“Illegal aliens crossing the Texas-Mexico border at Joe Biden’s invitation leave behind a trail of destruction that harms Texas agricultural land,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“This program will provide needed relief to Texans whose property is damaged by foreign aliens waved into the country by the federal government. I am glad to help the farmers and ranchers on our borderlands who bear the costs of Biden’s destructive policies.”
The program will provide up to $75,000 per instance. Landowners will need to file a claim with law enforcement in order to qualify for the program. They will have 90 days to file an application for financial relief and need to file a separate application for multiple types of damage.
The program was funded through legislation passed last year that launched the initiative and set aside $18 million to support it. Damage caused between September 1, 2023, and May 6, 2024, will have 90 days to apply for compensation. Damage caused before September 1 is not eligible for compensation, as reported by The Texas Tribune.
Surging unlawful migration under the administration of President Joe Biden has led to numerous issues in Texas and far beyond. As extensively reported by The Dallas Express, the U.S. foreign-born population has surpassed 51.4 million.
With record numbers of unlawful migrants crossing the border, “immigration” has topped inflation as the most important issue to Americans, according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released at the end of January.