Texas's Abbot Vows to Boost Anti-Terror Efforts, Target 'Special Interest Migrants' After New Orleans Attack

Governor Greg Abbott has issued a series of directives to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) aimed at combating "radical jihadist terrorism" in response to the recent New Orleans attack on New Year's Day which left 14 people dead and over 30 injured.

The attack was carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen and Army veteran. Jabbar, who pledged allegiance to ISIS in online videos, was killed by law enforcement during the incident.

Abbott's statement, published on the governor's official website, outlined 11 initiatives focused on prevention, protection and mitigation, emphasizing enhanced collaboration between state and federal agencies. "Terrorism has no place in Texas," added Governor Abbott on his X account. "Law enforcement at all levels must aggressively collaborate to eliminate radicalization that can lead to terrorist attacks."

Upon Abbott's proposal, DPS will expand its anti-terrorism operations by increasing intelligence analysts and working closely with FBI field offices across Texas, including Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso. Additional measures include assessing vulnerabilities at critical infrastructure sites, training local law enforcement, and providing workshops to improve community responses to terrorist threats.

One notable directive targets "special interest migrants," with DPS tasked to work with federal agencies to identify potential threats and an additional line that says that "in the past 4 years, hundreds of immigrants who entered the country illegally were on the terrorist watch list."

Governor Abbott emphasized the need for proactive measures to counter radicalization. The new initiatives also aim to train Texas communities on terrorism prevention and enhance protections at events and mass gatherings.

The measures follow initial misinformation about the suspect's vehicle crossing the Texas-Mexico border shortly before the attack, as The Texas Tribune reports:

"In the hours immediately after the New Orleans attack, Fox News initially reported the truck Jabbar had rented recently crossed the Texas-Mexico border before the attack, prompting several Republicans including state Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, to call for 'secure borders.' Fox News later retracted the report, and officials confirmed the vehicle had crossed the border in November, prior to Jabbar's renting"

Misinformation also led to conservative personalities and Republican leaders to falsely claim that Jabbar entered the U.S. illegally. Even President-elect Donald Trump jumped on the fake news with a post on Truth Social that, among other things, claimed that "the criminals coming in are far worse than the criminals we have in our country":