Texas Border Standoff
Kaylee Greenlee Beal VIA Wall Street Journal
On Jan. 10, Texas authorities — in an attempt to tackle the current illegal migrant crisis in Texas — used gates and razor wire to block US Federal Border Patrol from accessing a 2.5 mile stretch in Eagle Pass known as Shelby Park. Eagle Pass, a Texas border city sitting on the US side of the Rio Grande river, has become a major corridor for illegal immigration in recent years.
Shelby Park has since become a battleground for an escalating legal battle between the Biden administration and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. For the past three years, Abbot has convinced state lawmakers to spend more than $10 billion USD to block off hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants from crossing the Rio Grande river from Mexico into Texas.
The border situation escalated on Jan. 17, when the Supreme Court issued a temporary order permitting US Border Patrol to clear out the razor wire. Despite additional pressure from the Biden administration, the Texas National Guard doubled down on its efforts, with Abbott stating on X that he will “continue to defend Texas' constitutional authority to secure the border and prevent the Biden Admin from destroying our property.” This defiance has since deepened the rift between the state and federal authorities.
Over 100 miles of razor wire has currently been installed by the Texas National Guard, with no end in sight. According to CBC News, Abbot insists that the razor wire barrier has led to a sharp decline in illegal border crossings.
As reported by BBC, the conflict has drawn support from Republican lawmakers, who see it as a battle against federal overreach and a defence of state sovereignty. Governor Greg Abbott has since garnered support from 25 other republican governors in their defiance of federal intervention.
However, critics argue that Texas' actions not only undermine federal authority, but also aggravate tensions and pose risks to both migrants and law enforcement. According to BBC, the Biden administration, backed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), believes the razor wire barriers hinder the work of Border Patrol agents and jeopardize public safety. With the Supreme Court's temporary ruling in favour of the federal government, implications for immigration policy and federal-state relations remain at large.
Twenty-six attorney generals from states such as Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and South Carolina all signed a letter addressed to Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorka, in support of the state of Texas’ fight to secure the southern border.
Attorney General Ken Paxton reaffirmed Texas' commitment to defending its borders in a press release, framing the situation as a critical national security issue. "The invasion, encouraged by Biden's refusal to follow federal statutory law, is the biggest threat facing this country,” Paxton said. “Texas will continue doing everything in her power to close the border and protect America."