(The Center Square) – The judges and county commissioners of seven more Texas counties signed resolutions declaring an invasion at the southern border this week, citing unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling occurring at the U.S. border with Mexico under the Biden administration.

The seven counties – Chambers, Ellis, Hardin, Johnson, Liberty, Orange, and Wilson – also expressed support for Gov. Greg Abbott to protect the sovereignty of Texas and secure the border.

To date, 17 Texas counties now have formally declared an invasion, while two judges from other counties expressed support for declaring an invasion but their commissioners didn’t.

The judges and commissioners who’ve signed invasion declarations or resolutions represent the counties of Atascosa, Chambers, Edwards, Ellis, Goliad, Hardin, Johnson, Kinney, Liberty, Live Oak, Orange, Parker, Presidio, Terrell, Tyler, Wilson, and Wise.

The first to declare an invasion at the southern border were Kinney, Goliad, Terrell, Edwards, and Presidio counties and the city of Uvalde on July 5.

Initially, Jeff Davis County’s judge declared an invasion, but its county commissioners didn’t support it. On Aug. 9, Rockwall County’s judge signed a disaster declaration stating its residents were “under imminent threat of disaster from the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling coming across the U.S. border from Mexico.” But it was only good for 7 days and the court didn’t take up the matter in its next two meetings, his assistant confirmed to The Center Square.

While some have reported that Val Verde and Zavala counties have declared an invasion, they’ve only issued disaster declarations, as have multiple counties, enabling them to receive state funding for law enforcement efforts through Operation Lone Star.

Zavala County’s July 2021 disaster declaration remains in effect. It states the county is “under an imminent threat of disaster from the human trafficking occurring on our border with Mexico. The ongoing border crisis has resulted in thousands of undocumented aliens pushing our local, state, and federal law enforcement to its limit. That has resulted in residents of Zavala County sustaining property damage, and a concern for the public health and safety of the residents.”

Over the past few weeks, the judges and county commissioners of Atascosa, Live Oak, Parker, Tyler, and Wise counties signed invasion resolutions. More recently, the judges and county commissioners of Chambers, Hardin, Liberty and Orange counties (August 23) and Wilson County (August 22), also signed similar invasion resolutions, calling for “additional measures to secure the border, stop the invasion at the southern border and protect our communities.”

The counties state they recognize “our southern Texas border is suffering an invasion” and affirm “the sovereign and unilateral authority explicitly reserved to the states, respectively under Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution and Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution to defend themselves against invasion, which has been exacerbated by the Federal Government’s failure in meeting its constitutional obligation to ‘insure domestic tranquility,’ ‘provide for the common defense,’ ‘execute the laws,’ and ‘protect each state against invasion.’”

They also expressed support for Abbott’s border security actions through Operation Lone Star and called on him to expand his authority “available under Article 1, Section 10 of the United States Constitution and Article IV, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution.”

Johnson and Ellis counties’ officials signed invasion resolutions August 8, and August 23, respectively.

Johnson County’s resolution states, “the health, safety and welfare of Texas residents is under an imminent threat from the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling coming across the U.S. border from Mexico.” It cites the record number of foreign nationals who’ve illegally entered the U.S. since Biden took office (nearly 5 million), including known terrorists, and “the unprecedented amount of human trafficking, smuggling of fentanyl and other opioids infiltrating our border.”

These factors “constitute an invasion of the State of Texas,” its resolution states, and calls on Abbott “as the Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of the State” to take “necessary actions to preserve and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Texas.” It also encourages him to act “under the constitutional authority granted unto him under Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution and Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution to immediately prevent and/or remove all illegal aliens invading the sovereignty of Texas and that of the United States.”

Ellis County also expressed support for Abbott to “take necessary action to stop the chaos at our border.” Its resolution states, “the health, safety and welfare of Texas residents are under an imminent threat from the unprecedented levels of illegal immigration, human trafficking, and drug smuggling coming across the U.S. border from Mexico.”

It also cites the record number of foreign nationals who’ve entered Texas and the U.S. illegally since Biden’s been in office and states, “the ongoing immigration crisis on the Texas border is not acceptable and may constitute an invasion, having resulted in a security threat and humanitarian disaster with overwhelming consequences to the residents of Texas.”

Ellis County also called on Abbott “to act under the constitutional authority granted to hm under Article 4, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution,” and as Texas’ Commander in Chief to take “all necessary and legal steps to preserve and protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Texas.” Its resolution also asks him “to act under the constitutional authority granted to him under Article 4, Section 7 of the Texas Constitution and Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution to immediately prevent and/or remove all persons trespassing as well as invading the sovereignty of Texas and that of the United States.”