The border dispute between Texas and the federal government over illegal immigration has intensified, with 25 Republican governors backing Governor Greg Abbott’s razor wire operation.
A group of 25 Republican governors have expressed their support for Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who is in a heated dispute with the federal government over illegal immigration.
The Supreme Court decided this week in favor of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, and against Abbott, who has placed razor wire along parts of the border with Mexico. However, the Republican has pledged to continue using razor wire to stop what he describes as an invasion.
More than 225,000 illegal migrants entered the country in December, a record number. On Thursday, the Republican governors issued a joint statement praising Abbott for “protecting American citizens from unprecedented levels of illegal immigrants, dangerous drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists crossing our border”.
The current border conflict centers on a small section of the Rio Grande River that has become a popular route for migrants crossing illegally from Mexico. Abbott has launched Operation Lone Star, an initiative to prevent or discourage entry into his state, which includes setting up about 30 miles (48km) of razor wire barriers along the city of Eagle Pass.
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled by 5-4 that the US Border Patrol, a federal agency, could remove or cut the concertina wire installed by the Texas National Guard. The justice department had claimed the fencing interferes with the work of Border Patrol agents and poses a risk to both migrants and law enforcement.
Some of the illegal migrants have injured themselves on the wire. Speaking on Fox News on Thursday, Abbott said: “Texas is simply securing the border because the Biden administration has completely failed to secure the border and enforce the laws.”
He has shared photos of the Texas National Guard putting up new razor wire along the river. This action does not seem to violate the Supreme Court order, which only allowed the removal of existing wire, and did not mention adding new barriers.
Democrats are calling on the president to take a stronger stance against Texas. “Governor Greg Abbott is using the Texas National Guard to create obstacles and disorder at the border,” congressman Joaquin Castro wrote on X, demanding federal oversight of the guardsmen.
Governor Abbott is also facing legal opposition from the Biden administration over his orders to put floating barriers in the Rio Grande and to imprison thousands of migrants on trespassing charges. And, as the governor keeps sending migrants to Democratic cities and states, Biden is under increasing pressure to take decisive action to reduce the number of arrivals.
Last week, Biden said he was “ready to act”, but argued that Congress must first agree on major policy changes. The chances of a comprehensive agreement, however, in either house of Congress, or both, seem low.
Republicans in the US House of Representatives are leading an attempt to impeach and remove the president’s top border official, Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. A developing bipartisan border deal in the US Senate faces resistance from both sides.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential frontrunner, has reportedly urged allies to block the bill to prevent Biden from getting a victory in an election year.
Immigration is a key issue ahead of the November 2024 general election, with voters in Iowa and New Hampshire giving primary wins to Trump partly because of their worries over the border.
