On Monday, Governor Greg Abbott enacted an executive order instructing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to specifically target and apprehend individuals attempting to execute influence operations for the Chinese government, particularly those aiming to apprehend dissidents for return to China.
Abbott’s directive is a direct response to “Operation Fox Hunt,” a Chinese government program designed to tackle corruption domestically. However, it has allegedly been utilized to intimidate Chinese nationals living abroad, harass advocates of democracy within the Chinese community, and, in some extreme cases, forcibly return dissenters and former officials to China. The initiative has led to successful legal actions by the U.S. Department of Justice against those involved in these operations.
“The Chinese Communist Party has embarked on a global harassment campaign targeting Chinese dissidents in a bid to repatriate them to China,” Abbott stated in a press release. “Texas will not tolerate any harassment or coercion faced by the over 250,000 individuals of Chinese heritage who lawfully reside in Texas at the hands of the Communist Party of China or its unscrupulous agents.”
Abbott’s office did not provide immediate feedback when asked for further comments.
Conor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Houston office, revealed that the agency has been running a public campaign since January to prevent the harassment, intimidation, and assault of individuals in the U.S. by foreign entities. The FBI is actively seeking potential victims within the Houston area who might have experienced harassment from agents of the Chinese government.
Hagan elaborated that the Chinese government has specifically targeted its own citizens living in the United States, including naturalized and U.S.-born citizens with families in China.
“Their actions breach U.S. law and undermine our cherished American rights and freedoms,” Hagan communicated in an email.
The FBI office in Houston has established a hotline for individuals who believe they have fallen victim to such actions orchestrated by the Communist Party of China. The hotline number is (713) 693-5000.
State Representative Gene Wu, a Democrat from Houston who emigrated from China, praised Abbott’s decision on Tuesday.
“The right to express oneself and live freely is at the heart of the American Dream; anyone who seeks to undermine this principle opposes Texas values,” Wu remarked.
Previously, Wu criticized Texas Republicans for endorsing legislation to prevent both citizens and foreign entities from countries such as China from purchasing land in Texas. He also urged Abbott to show support for Chinese immigrants by opposing such measures.
According to Abbott’s executive order, the Chinese government has established “police service stations” worldwide, with one rumored to be located in Houston.
“We will persist in our efforts to shield Texans from the unlawful and oppressive tactics of the Communist Party of China,” asserted Abbott.
The executive order compels the DPS to identify and prosecute individuals suspected of crimes tied to Operation Fox Hunt; collaborate with local and federal authorities to investigate incidents of harassment by foreign governments against Texans; provide recommendations for policies to counter these threats; and create a hotline for reporting suspected coercive actions linked to Operation Fox Hunt.
Furthermore, Abbott issued a second executive order on Thursday focusing on strengthening state agency systems and public higher education institutions against potential incursions by hostile foreign powers.