Safer Texas

No one can benefit from the opportunities that Texas has to offer if their communities are not safe. Governor Abbott has worked tirelessly toward creating safer communities across Texas since he’s been in office, including: 

• Defunded cities that defund police
• Provided over $500 million in public safety grants in 2024 to local law enforcement agencies 
• Increased penalties for criminal activities that interfere with or harm law enforcement
• Signed a law to charge criminals with murder for supplying fentanyl that results in death
• Banned the sale of Texas land to foreign adversaries like China
• Invested in Texas’ rural and volunteer fire departments

Bail Reform 

Governor Abbott has worked with the Texas Legislature to keep dangerous criminals behind bars by imposing tougher standards for setting bail and punishments for violating bond, including:

• Prohibited criminals charged with a violent offense from being released on a personal bond
• Required bail be set or denied within 48 hours of arrest and that criminal history be considered before setting bail
• Required mandatory training for judges on their duties when setting bail
• Required bond conditions be reported so law enforcement can apprehend offenders out on bail who are violating court orders

Governor Abbott declared bail reform as an emergency item during the 89th Regular Legislature Session—and he kept that promise. This legislative session, Governor Abbott worked with the Texas Legislature to pass the strongest bail reform package in Texas history. These new laws make it tougher for violent criminals to get out of jail on bail by: 

• Requiring judges to deny bail for violent crimes such as murder and rape unless they can ensure that the defendant will appear in court and not present a danger to their community 
• Requiring judges who do release violent criminals on bail to explain their decisions to the public in writing
• Prohibiting the use of public funds to be used by nonprofits to bail criminals out of jail
• Allowing prosecutors to appeal questionable bail decisions
• Ensuring only elected judges can reduce or change bail conditions, barring unaccountable magistrates from setting bail in the most serious and high-risk cases
• Prohibiting parole for human traffickers who prey on children and people with disabilities
• Requiring magistrates to provide a written explanation on why they determined an arrest was made without probable cause
   

Cybersecurity

Texas is 8th largest economy in the world, #1 in the nation for in oil and gas production, home to 15 major military installations, and has two international airline headquarters, making it a target for hostile foreign adversaries like China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. Governor Abbott has stepped up to protect Texans and critical infrastructure from threats posed by hostile foreign actors, including:

• Directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to target and arrest any criminals executing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence
• Directed all state agencies and higher education institutions to harden state systems
• Directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management and Public Utility Commission of Texas to prepare for potential threats against Texas’ critical infrastructure
• Ordered all state agencies to fully divest from China
• Banned the use of AI and social media apps affiliated with the People’s Republic of China and the CCP on government-issued devices

To protect Texans from emerging threats, Governor Abbott made the creation of the Texas Cyber Command an emergency item. Governor Abbott worked with the Texas Legislature in the 89th Regular Legislative Session to establish the Texas Cyber Command, the largest state-based cybersecurity department in America. With a historic $135 million investment, the Texas Cyber Command will: 

• Launch a cyber threat intelligence center to identify and repair weaknesses in state and local government systems and to train and educate users about preventing cyber breaches
• Coordinate with governments on swift and effective responses to cyber attacks
• Collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to establish the gold standard for cybersecurity

Border Security 

Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021 to combat the record-high levels of illegal immigration, weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl surging into our communities due to former President Joe Biden’s reckless open border policies. Under this historic border mission, Texas has done more than any state in American history to hold the line and secure the border, including: 

• Deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers to the southern border
• Building the Texas border wall, the first state in U.S. history to do so
• Installing border barriers such as razor wire and buoys to stop illegal crossings
• Designating Mexican drug cartels and criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua as foreign terrorist organizations 
• Busing more than 100,000 migrants to sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C. and New York City to relieve overwhelmed border communities
• Seizing more than enough fentanyl to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined

Texas’ historic efforts reduced illegal crossings into the state by more than 85%.

Now, Texas has a partner in the White House who will help secure the border. Working with President Donald Trump and his Administration, Governor Abbott: 

• Ordered state agencies to assist with the arresting, jailing, and deporting of illegal immigrants
• Signed an agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deputize the Texas National Guard to make immigration arrests
• Directed DPS to dispatch tactical strike teams to support homeland security operations

In the 89th Regular Legislative Session, the Governor worked with the Texas Legislature to boost the state’s efforts to support the federal government and their border security mission, including:

• Investing over $3.35 billion in border security
• Requiring all counties with jails to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement