- Abbott reasserted the state’s right to protect its own border after the Supreme Court ruled Biden administration could take down razor wire state installed
- If Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, [Biden] needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard,’ said Rep. Casar
Democrats are demanding President Biden take back control of the Texas border amid a bitter standoff with the state over who should have the authority to apprehend migrants.
Some lawmakers have suggested Biden take control of the National Guard.
‘Governor Greg Abbott is using the Texas National Guard to obstruct and create chaos at the border,’ Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, posted to X on Tuesday. ‘If Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard now.’
Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, agreed: ‘If Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, [Biden] needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard.’
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reasserted the state’s right to protect its own border after the Supreme Court ruled the Biden administration could take down razor wire Texas had installed along high-traffic areas of the border.
Meanwhile Texas Border Czar Mike Banks told ranchers Wednesday the state could install razor wire on their private property free of charge, the state official told a packed room of ranchers who met just outside of Eagle Pass, Texas.
Abbott said the federal government failed at its duty to enforce laws and states had every right to step in to protect their borders.
‘The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting states, including immigration laws on the books right now,’ Abbott said. ‘President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them.’
The governor is engaged in multiple legal disputes with the Biden administration over its seizure of a section of the U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas. This week the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could tear down razor wire that Abbott had installed along the border in Eagle Pass.
Texas officials, however, said the ruling only narrowly applies to the wire and does not settle the escalating standoff over whether the state or federal government has authority to secure the border in the hot spot of Eagle Pass, Texas.
Abbott also installed floating barriers in the Rio Grande, which later failed a legal battle and were removed, and recently signed a new law allowing state law enforcement to arrest and immediately deport migrants.
Under Abott’s orders Texas soldiers fenced off Shelby Park January 10 with razor wire and other fencing, even though the land is owned by the City of Eagle Pass.
Abbott claimed the move was meant to stop the historic number of illegal immigrant entries at Shelby Park in recent weeks.
In the week before Christmas, more than 22,000 asylum-seeking migrants crossed the river separating the US from Mexico and into Shelby Park to get inside Eagle Pass, that only has a population of 28,000.
The influx strained resources and cost local taxpayers thousands of dollars a day.
However, the feud escalated after the Border Patrol agents claimed Texas National Guard troops prevented them from entering the state-controlled area to help save a migrant woman and two children from drowning.
The state claimed the migrants had already drowned by the time Border Patrol was made aware.
The Biden’s Department of Justice filed a request late Monday with the Supreme Court to force the state to give Border Patrol agents access.
The razor wire is part of Abbott’s border security plan known as Operation Lone Star.
Launched in March 2021, many of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiatives have been controversial and have pitted the Republican governor with the White House over jurisdiction.
Abbott has also put buoys in the Rio Grande to act as a deterrent, but they have also been wrapped up in a legal battle.
Earlier this month the Biden administration sued to block a new Texas law which empowers state officials to essentially deport people who are suspected of crossing the border illegally.
