Texas Governor Greg Abbott has stepped up his fight against Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence with a sweeping executive order targeting what he describes as a dangerous and unlawful overreach by Beijing. This week, Abbott directed the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to crack down on criminals involved in CCP “influence operations,” including a global campaign known as “Operation Fox Hunt,” which aims to forcibly return Chinese dissidents to their homeland. Abbott also demanded the state divest from Chinese assets and bolster its defenses against potential cyberattacks or other threats to critical infrastructure.
The governor minced no words in his statement, condemning the CCP’s harassment of Chinese dissidents, including the more than 250,000 individuals of Chinese descent legally residing in Texas. Citing the CCP’s underhanded tactics to silence critics and intimidate those who have dared to oppose the regime, Abbott declared that such behavior would not be tolerated in the Lone Star State. The directive, he explained, is a clear message to Beijing that Texas will not stand idly by while its residents or its sovereignty are threatened.
In his order, Abbott highlighted how “Operation Fox Hunt” is part of a broader CCP agenda targeting individuals guilty of little more than criticizing the regime or exposing corruption. The governor pointed to revelations by the FBI, which recently shut down a CCP “police service station” operating in New York City. These so-called stations are part of a global network used by Beijing to intimidate Chinese nationals abroad, often using threats, harassment, and other coercive measures. According to human rights group Safeguard Defenders, at least six more of these shadowy outposts are believed to exist in the United States, including one in Houston.
Abbott’s orders to DPS include identifying and prosecuting individuals who prey on dissidents from any foreign adversary, with the agency tasked with drafting new policy proposals for the upcoming legislative session. But his crackdown didn’t stop there. The governor also ordered the state to cut financial ties with China, prohibiting new investments of state funds in Chinese assets and directing the immediate divestment of any current holdings. Abbott took to social media to emphasize the urgency, stating that protecting Texas’s public treasury from CCP influence is a top priority.
Lastly, Abbott called for strengthened cybersecurity measures and infrastructure protections to guard against potential CCP-led attacks. The governor’s bold moves make it clear that Texas is taking a hardline stance against foreign interference, particularly from an adversary as aggressive as the CCP. For Abbott, this is as much about defending freedom and human rights as it is about safeguarding the state’s sovereignty and resources. While critics may balk at the tough rhetoric, Abbott’s message is simple: Texas isn’t backing down from the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party.
