Texas Democrat flips to GOP over border crisis

A local Texas official has flipped from the Democratic Party to the GOP over the latter's support for tighter border security and the Biden administration's lax approach to the issue.

Kleberg County Attorney Kira Talip Sanchez confirmed her defection to Fox News over the weekend. Her municipality is a coastal county situated in near the southern border of the Lone Star State. The Texas-Mexico frontier is one of the hotspots for illegal migration, which has surged under the Biden administration. An estimated 6 million people have illegally entered the country since Biden took office.

Sanchez, in announcing her switch, contended that the Republican Party's policies on the matter were better suited to address the crisis.

"As County Attorney, I have been proud to work with law enforcement to ensure the safety of the citizens of Kleberg County. There is an unprecedented crisis at our southern border," she said. "I believe that the GOP’s policies of law and order protecting safety, and backing the blue best align with my values and the values of the citizens of Kleberg County. I look forward to working with my colleagues to keep South Texas safe."

President Joe Biden currently enjoys a 34.6% approval rating on immigration in the RealClearPolitics polling average. A further 59.0% disapprove of his handling of the issue.

Sanchez's defection is the latest in a string of such moves over the past few months. The North Carolina General Assembly saw Republicans gain a supermajority this April after state Rep. Tricia Cotham joined the GOP.

Louisiana's lower chamber became a supermajority GOP stronghold in March after state Rep. Francis Thompson defected. State Rep. Jeremy LaCombe followed suit in April, bolstering the Republican position further.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.