Border battle grows, half of US governors back Texas in standoff with feds

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE FIGHT BETWEEN TEXAS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER ENFORCING THE SOUTHERN BORDER CONTINUES TO EXPAND. 

THIS WEEK THE SUPREME COURT RULED THE FEDS COULD CUT AND REMOVE RAZOR WIRE THE LONE STAR STATE INSTALLED TO PREVENT ILLEGAL CROSSINGS. 

TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT AND OTHER OFFICIALS FIRED BACK SAYING THE STATE WOULD NOT BACK OFF AND WOULD CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT BORDER CONTROLS DESPITE CALLS FROM WHITE HOUSE TO STAND DOWN. 

REACTION ACROSS THE NATION HAS BEEN PLENTIFUL. WITH SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS BACKING ABBOTT’S EFFORTS – AND OTHERS PUSHING BACK. 

FOR MONTHS – ABBOTT HAS DIRECTED THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD TO DEPLOY RAZOR WIRE ALONG BORDER HOTSPOTS – INCLUDING SHELBY PARK – LOCATED IN EAGLE PASS, TEXAS – TO DETER MIGRANTS FROM CROSSING INTO THE COUNTRY.

 THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SUED.

IN A 5-4 DECISION MONDAY – THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S FAVOR – GIVING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THE AUTHORITY TO CUT DOWN RAZOR WIRE INSTALLED BY TEXAS.

HOWEVER – THE RULING DOES NOT BAR TEXAS FROM INSTALLING MORE RAZOR WIRE. SO – ABBOTT AND STATE OFFICIALS ARE DOUBLING DOWN.

(KEN PAXTON / TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL)

“WE’LL KEEP DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROTECT OUR STATE DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE SUPREME COURT RULING WAS SO WRONG AND HAS SUCH A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON OUR STATE AND ON OUR COUNTRY.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE FIGHT BETWEEN TEXAS OFFICIALS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SIMMERING FOR YEARS.

ABBOTT CALLS THE MIGRANT CRISIS AN “INVASION” AS MORE THAN 6 MILLION ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS HAVE BEEN LET INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE UNITED STATES. 

IN A STATEMENT RELEASED WEDNESDAY – ABBOTT SAID “THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE UNITED STATES HAS A CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY TO ENFORCE FEDERAL LAWS PROTECTING STATES, INCLUDING IMMIGRATION LAWS ON THE BOOKS RIGHT NOW. PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS REFUSED TO ENFORCE THOSE LAWS AND HAS EVEN VIOLATED THEM.”

THEN ON THURSDAY, ONE-BY-ONE, 25 REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS STATED THEY WOULD ALL SUPPORT TEXAS IN “HOLDING THE LINE.”

FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS ONE OF THOSE GOVERNORS.

(GOV. RON DESANTIS / R-FL)

“SO ALL OF THIS IS JUST NONSENSE WHAT BIDEN IS DOING. TEXAS HAS EVERY RIGHT TO STAND ITS GROUND. WE IN FLORIDA, WE’VE BEEN SENDING PEOPLE FOR MANY YEARS NOW BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND ITS NOT JUST TEXAS’ ISSUE, IT’S ULTIMATELY AN AMERICAN ISSUE AND IF WE DON’T HAVE SOVEREIGNTY IN THIS COUNTRY THAN WE’RE NOT GOING TO BE A COUNTRY ANYMORE.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

ABBOTT SPOKE WITH TUCKER CARLSON ON FRIDAY SAYING AT LEAST 10 STATES HAVE SENT THEIR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO TEXAS.

CARLSON ASKED ABBOTT HOW THE STATE OF TEXAS WOULD RESPOND – IF THE WHITE HOUSE FEDERALIZES THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD, AS SOME DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS HAVE SUGGESTED .

(GOV. GREG ABBOTT / R- TEXAS)

“WELL FIRST OFF, SHOCKED. THAT WOULD BE A BONE-HEADED MOVE ON HIS PART, A TOTAL DISASTER. BUT FOR ONE, AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, WE ARE PREPARED IN THE EVENT THAT THAT UNLIKELY EVENT DOES OCCUR.

WE DO HAVE OTHER ARMED STATE EMPLOYEES ON THE BORDER AS WE SPEAK RIGHT THIS MINUTE. THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AS WELL AS NATIONAL GUARD FROM OTHER STATES. AND YOU CAN BE ASSURED THERE WILL BE MORE NATIONAL GUARD FROM OTHER STATES AND OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

AS THE SHELBY PARK DEADLINE LOOMS, IT’S UNCLEAR HOW THE WHITE HOUSE WILL RESPOND IF TEXAS DOES NOT GRANT FEDERAL TROOPS ACCESS TO SHELBY PARK – TO CUT DOWN THE RAZOR WIRE.

ABBOTT VOWS TO KEEP ERECTING BARRIERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS ALONG THE U.S. SOUTHERN BORDER.