More than 10 state governors have expressed support for Texas as it continues to defend its border amid the ongoing influx of unlawful migrants.
Gov. Greg Abbott responded to a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in which the court vacated an injunction preventing federal agents from cutting concertina wire along the border. Abbott claimed that President Joe Biden “has ignored Texas’s demand that he perform his constitutional duties,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Abbott said in his statement that “States should not be left to the mercy of a lawless president who does nothing to stop external threats,” vowing in a subsequent social media post that Texas “will continue to hold the line.”
Since Abbott reiterated Texas’ right to self-defense, governors from more than 10 states have expressed support for the Lone Star State.
Govs. Bill Lee of Tennessee, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Brad Little of Idaho, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, Spencer Cox of Utah, Greg Gianforte of Montana, and Jeff Landry of Louisiana have each individually stated on social media platform X that they will be supporting Texas and Abbott amidst the ongoing battle with the federal government.
Others, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have gone as far as to send resources to Texas to help assist the state in the ongoing battle to defend the border.
DeSantis stated in a social media post that Florida supports the Lone Star State and “will keep assisting Texas with personnel and assets.”
“If the Constitution really made states powerless to defend themselves against an invasion, it wouldn’t have been ratified in the first place and Texas would have never joined the union when it did,” he said. “TX is upholding the law while Biden is flouting it.”
Similarly, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson posted on social media that “[t]he House will do everything in its power to back him up,” adding that the next step in the process will be “holding Secretary Mayorkas accountable.”
The ongoing legal battle between Texas and the federal government revolves around claims made by the state that federal agents have been cutting its wire fences along the border to assist unlawful migrants entering the country.
These allegations resulted in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filing a lawsuit against officials within the Biden administration, claiming that “federal government officials are, once again, undermining Texas’s efforts to stem the flow of illegal immigration.”
“Federal agents have developed and implemented a policy, pattern, or practice of destroying Texas’s concertina wire to encourage and assist thousands of aliens to illegally cross the Rio Grande and enter Texas,” states the filing.
An injunction ordered by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals prevented federal agents from “damaging Texas’s wire fences while the U.S. Department of Justice prepares a response to Texas’s motion for an injunction pending appeal of the district court’s order.”
For the federal government’s part, the Biden administration claimed in its initial emergency appeal that allowing the injunction to stand “would leave the United States at the mercy of states that could seek to force the federal government to conform the implementation of federal immigration law to varying state-law regimes.”
Although the most recent SCOTUS decision vacated the injunction, it did not say that Texas is barred from installing more concertina wire along the border.
Paxton said in a statement about the SCOTUS ruling that his office will continue the appeal process on February 7 when the Fifth Circuit Court hears arguments.