Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a member of the Republican Party, raised concerns about the federal government’s actions with regards to border security.
This statement comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling that granted the Border Patrol the authority to trim or remove the razor wire that had been installed by Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Abbott voiced his grievances, stating, “The federal government has breached the agreement between the United States and individual states. The U.S. Executive Branch holds a constitutional responsibility to enforce federal laws, which includes the existing immigration laws.”
Furthermore, Abbott accused President Joe Biden of failing to uphold his oath to faithfully execute the immigration laws enacted by Congress. He also alleged that Biden’s administration has instructed its agencies to disregard federal statutes that mandate the detention of illegal immigrants, as reported by Mediaite.
Abbott made reference to the framers of the U.S. Constitution, such as James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, who foresaw the need for states to be safeguarded against external threats, including the smuggling activities of cartels that bring in illegal immigrants across the border. Abbott argued, “This is precisely why the Framers included Article IV, § 4, which obligates the federal government to ‘protect each [State] against invasion,’ and Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which recognizes ‘the States’ sovereign interest in safeguarding their borders.'”
Abbott has been pushing the boundaries of the constitutional division of powers between the state and federal governments in matters related to border and immigration enforcement for nearly two years. His legal team, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, hinted at the possibility of formally declaring a border “invasion” back in April 2022. Abbott officially declared this invasion in September after reaching out to President Biden in November and invoking the state’s constitutional right to wage war in the event of an invasion.
Since then, Governor Abbott has steadily expanded the roles of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard in border enforcement. He has emphasized the constitutional authority of a state to defend itself against an invasion.
In his recent statement, Abbott emphasized, “This authority is the highest law of the land and takes precedence over any federal statutes that may contradict it.”
The escalation of these actions has led to legal disputes surrounding Operation Lone Star, Abbott’s initiative aimed at increasing Texas’ control over immigration enforcement. While the U.S. Supreme Court allowed for the removal of the razor wire installed by Texas, the ruling did not address other contentious issues in the strained relationship between federal and state authorities.
Earlier this month, Texas officials took control of a public park on the banks of the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, deploying Texas National Guard troops to restrict Border Patrol access.
Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democrat from Texas, urged President Biden to assume command of the Texas National Guard under federal authority.
Representative Greg Casar, another Democrat from Texas, echoed Castro’s sentiments, suggesting, “If Abbott continues to defy the Supreme Court, President Biden should take exclusive control of the Guard.”
