This week, the Texas National Guard initiated the construction of new barriers along a segment of the state’s border with Mexico, inadvertently impeding access for U.S. Border Patrol agents, as stated in a court document filed by the federal government on Friday.
This development is part of the growing tension between Texas’ Republican-led state government and the Democrat-led administration of President Joe Biden, particularly over issues related to migration.
In their submission to the U.S. Supreme Court, lawyers representing the Biden administration reported that Texas’ actions have altered the dynamics along the pertinent section of the Rio Grande. They pointed out that the new barriers near Eagle Pass, Texas, are further limiting the Border Patrol’s capacity to access the river in specific regions.
This court filing follows a request earlier in the month from the administration, urging the Supreme Court to temporarily permit Border Patrol agents to cut or dismantle the razor-wire fencing installed by Texas authorities along parts of the border. This fencing was put in place by the Republican-controlled state to curb illegal border crossings.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s office regarding the court filing.
This latest move by Texas aligns with Governor Abbott’s strategy, wherein approximately 100,000 migrants have been transported from the state to Democrat-led cities across the nation. Abbott has also been vocal in his criticism of the Biden administration for the recent surge in migrant crossings. With migration expected to be a key issue in Biden’s reelection campaign this November, these developments gain additional significance.
The U.S. Supreme Court has yet to make a decision on the administration’s request to stay a lower court’s ruling. The lower court had temporarily barred federal agents from interfering with the fencing while the legal dispute continues.
