During a recent trip to Europe for a political philosophy symposium, I was both impressed by the young leaders I met and concerned by the situations they were describing in their various home countries throughout the old continent.
Young men and women, fluent in geo-politics and global current events alongside four to five different languages, conversed about politics, economics, history, aesthetics, philosophy, and theology, with optimism for the potential of alleviating Europe’s maladies and striving towards a better future.
However, they cautioned each other strongly against short-term optimism. The increasingly complex and chaotic migration problems they’re facing make them reticent to speak more enthusiastically.
Throughout our conversations we began comparing notes of our situations and they resoundingly said they love Texas because of its “common sense, no nonsense” philosophy and approach to governance—especially regarding border security.
Two young European businessmen and aspiring politicians—who have each visited Texas and admire its spirit—told me they’re perplexed and frustrated at the growing consequences uncontrolled migration has brought to their countries.
Frankly, as they said, Europe is in crisis, but people are closing their eyes to not see the collapse. Countries that once prided themselves on order, prosperity, and national identity now face social disintegration, rising insecurity, and cultural fracturing, all tied to porous migration policies and leaders who have abandoned the Rule of Law.
Texas must not follow the same course of action that is wrecking European nations.
Take Sweden, for example. Once a model of civic order, Sweden now faces deadly gang violence and immigrant-driven crime networks. The Swedish prime minister acknowledged in 2022 that integration of immigrants has failed and contributed to gang violence.
France is perhaps even worse, with mass rioting, police ambushes, and “no-go zones” in immigrant neighborhoods signaling the breakdown of law and order. Meanwhile, Germany is now witnessing the collapse of its welfare systems and the rise of parallel societies in which German law is supplanted by clan loyalty and religious separatism.
In Spain, just last week, the news coverage constantly spoke of the most recent position that the conservative political party Vox had taken in strongly supporting deportations of criminals who are illegal immigrants. The conversation has divided the media, and continues to be volatile. The strong positions Vox has taken have begun to pay dividends among young Spaniards, as was highlighted by the Economist depicting the political shifts among the younger generations. Today, 70% of Spaniards support deportations of illegal immigrants and criminals.
Europe didn’t wake up one day to these challenges. It happened incrementally across the span of several decades.
Texas finds itself at a similar crossroads. The U.S. southern border, particularly in Texas under President Joe Biden, became the epicenter of a constitutional and humanitarian crisis. In 2024 alone, more than 2.5 million illegal border encounters were recorded. Official U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows comprehensive enforcement statistics, with nearly 11 million unauthorized border encounters between October 2019 and June 2024. The numbers are mind boggling. What was worse however, is that cartel-driven human trafficking, human smuggling, fentanyl smuggling, and violent criminal activity surged.
And although President Donald Trump has made great strides in securing the southern U.S. border, Texas continues to bear the weight of this migration crisis in every way imaginable: overcrowded schools, strained health care systems, overwhelmed law enforcement, and rural counties on the verge of collapse.
The financial burden of illegal immigration is one of the most significant challenges facing our state. My colleagues at the Texas Public Policy Foundation estimate the economic costs of illegal immigration amount to billions of dollars annually—a cost that Texans should not be expected to bear alone. And recent TPPF analysis cites $150.7 billion net cost of illegal immigration nationwide.
The European experience demonstrates that open borders are not compassionate; they are destabilizing. Open borders have been hijacked by criminal networks, erode national unity, and invite cultural fragmentation. The essence of a country is contingent on its ability to determine who enters, under what conditions, and with what expectations. Without this control, sovereignty becomes an illusion.
But Texas can do more. The state should continue to assert its constitutional powers under Article I, Section 10, which allows states to act when the federal government fails to protect its people. Texas should be able to detain and deport individuals involved in illegal immigration, as any sovereign entity has the right to do.
Additionally, we must eliminate taxpayer-funded incentives that reward illegal immigration and noncompliance. Public resources—whether in education, health care, or housing—should serve legal residents first, not subsidize an unsustainable and unlawful immigration system.
Finally, we must strengthen our commitment to cultural cohesion. This means strengthening English as our unifying civic language, enforcing legal expectations, and further facilitating assimilation. The American—and Texan—identity is something to be upheld, not diluted. It is what immigrants should strive to join.
Europe’s leaders ignored the warnings—and now they are dealing with consequences they can no longer control. Texas must continue to lead, serving as a model for how states can reclaim their constitutional role.