An upcoming film produced by Texas Agriculture Commissioner seeks to address border security and highlight the potential threat posed to Texas agriculture by Mexican drug traffickers and drug cartels.

Immigration and agriculture have been uneasy bedfellows in recent years. Several states, in an effort to curb illegal immigration, have passed strict immigration laws designed to give law enforcement power to find and deport undocumented residents. While these laws have limited illegal immigration, they have also resulted in severe losses in the agricultural sector, with major farms reporting difficulty hiring farm labor.

Anti-immigration officials throughout the Southwest have long linked illegal immigration to drug cartels and so-called “narco-terrorism.” Texas Agriculture Commissioners Todd Staples hopes to address the relationship between drug smuggling, illegal immigration, the border, and Texas agriculture in an upcoming conference titled “International Transborder Narco-terrorism: Addressing a Changing Environment.”

Staples’s film, “International Transborder Narco-terrorism: Addressing a Changing Environment,” argues that drug trafficking is severely damaging agricultural production throughout Texas. In particular, the threat of illegal intrusion and armed invaders lowers rural property values.

Staples has also argued that residents of the Texas border live in constant fear. Some have speculated that this conference and Staples’s video are serving as the foundation of a future political campaign.

To learn more about Texas farm loans and agricultural financing opportunities, contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmloans.com.

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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer