5 Days in October: Greg Abbott on Immigration

NBC 5 is partnering with The Dallas Morning News, KERA and Telemundo 39 to produce in-depth reports about the race for Texas governor. We asked our viewers, readers and listeners to vote on the topics most important to them. For five days, we will report in-depth on each of those topics: education, immigration, health care, economy and infrastructure.

The second report is on immigration. Click here to see our report on Texas Sen. Wendy Davis.

When it comes to securing the border, Attorney General Greg Abbott plans to spend $300 million.

"I will be putting the resources on the border, as well as across the state of Texas, to make sure that our communities are safe," said Abbott.

At first, he said it will come out of the budget, but his plan is to have money seized at the border, money he said is going toward the cartels, pay for it.

• 5 Days in October: Wendy Davis on Immigration

"You think that will totally cover that, what is seized?" asked NBC 5 reporter Julie Fine.

"I know we are seizing more than $300 million worth of value a year right now," said Abbott.

• 5 Days in October: Greg Abbott on Education

Right now, Texas is spending more, after a surge in undocumented workers crossed the border.

• [NATL-DFW] Perry Sending Up to 1,000 Texas National Guard Troops to Border

Abbott was with Texas Governor Rick Perry when he announced they were sending the National Guard to the border. Right now, Texans are footing that bill.

"I will send the bill to Washington, D.C. to make sure that they pay for the problem that the federal government caused," said Abbott.

• Abbott Says Texas Border Safer Than Before

But so far, Washington and Texas aren't even close when it comes to agreeing on immigration reform.

Thousands of undocumented workers have come across our borders, and children too.

• Texas Approves Spending $1.3 Million Per Week on Border Security

"What do we do with these children once they are here? Do they have to go back?," asked Fine.

"What the Department of Homeland Security has promised is that they are going to ensure that the children are going to receive the proper judicial adjudication they deserve, and that they will be returned. Because they are here, not because of any typical type of asylum-type situation we have had in the past, but instead they are here because the President sent the message that our borders were open,” said Abbott.

CLICK HERE for a special 5 Days in October section from The Dallas Morning News.