Thirteen Republican governors joined Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, over the weekend of Feb. 2 at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas. Shelby Park currently serves as the epicenter of a standoff between the state of Texas and the federal government.
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“As opposed to detaining any illegal immigrants, Biden has instead let them all loose across the entire country with no ability to accurately determine their whereabouts or what they may be doing,” Abbott said during a news conference in Eagle Pass on Sunday, Feb. 4.
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal agents could cut razor wire that was installed by Texas authorities at the southern border to deter illegal migrant crossings. Since the ruling, Abbott vowed not to allow federal agents into Shelby Park, prompting Democrats to call on Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard.
With more than a dozen GOP governors, Abbott repeated his claim that Texas is in imminent danger from an “invasion” of migrants, maintaining that the state has the right to protect itself from that danger.
Abbott said too many Americans are dying from fentanyl that is pouring across the border, adding that terrorists on the terror watchlist are finding ways into the country and putting all Americans at risk.
In December 2023, U.S. federal agents recorded more than 302,000 encounters at the southern border, including 250,000 arrests for illegal crossings.
“Texas will continue to exercise that self-defense and expand the area where we’re using that self-defense to make sure we’ll be able to better protect our communities,” Abbott said.
Texas authorities have been successful in securing Shelby Park, according to Abbott. The Texas governor also noted there’s been an average of just three migrants crossing illegally in that area over three days.
“The president is obligated by laws passed by Congress to actually secure the border and deny illegal entry,” Abbott said. “Texas has shown that we can reduce it to three people crossing across the border. Joe Biden, it is your turn now, your obligation, your duty to follow the law Congress passed and secure the border just as Texas has.”
More than a dozen other Republican governors, including some from Arkansas, Georgia and Nebraska, stood next to Abbott at the news conference in Shelby Park, pledging their support for Texas.
“Arkansas sent National Guard troops here last year,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, R-Ark. “And I can commit today, we’ll continue to do that over the course of this year, as much as we can and as much as is needed, until the federal government and Joe Biden step up and do their jobs.”
“The message of all governors with Gov. Abbott is all we’re asking Joe Biden to do is enforce the laws of our country,” said Gov. Jim Pillen, R-Neb.
Meanwhile, President Biden spoke to Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador over the weekend and they “reiterated their shared commitment to bolster our joint efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations involved in the illicit trafficking of drugs, guns and people,” according to a readout of the phone call from the White House.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
13 REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS JOINED TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT OVER THE WEEKEND AT SHELBY PARK IN EAGLE PASS, TEXAS – THE EPICENTER OF A STANDOFF BETWEEN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
[GOV. GREG ABBOTT / R-TX]
“AS OPPOSED TO DETAINING ANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, BIDEN HAS INSTEAD LET THEM ALL LOOSE ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WITH NO ABILITY TO ACCURATELY DETERMINE THEIR WHEREABOUTS OR WHAT THEY MAY BE DOING.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
TWO WEEKS AGO – THE US SUPREME COURT RULED – FEDERAL AGENTS COULD CUT RAZOR WIRE — INSTALLED BY TEXAS AUTHORITIES AT THE US SOUTHERN BORDER TO DETER ILLEGAL MIGRANT CROSSINGS.
SINCE THE RULING – GOVERNOR ABBOTT VOWED NOT TO ALLOW FEDERAL AGENTS INTO SHELBY PARK – SPARKING DEMOCRATS TO CALL ON BIDEN TO FEDERALIZE THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD.
AT A NEWS CONFERENCE FROM SHELBY PARK SUNDAY – WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN GOP GOVERNORS — ABBOTT REPEATED HIS CLAIM THAT TEXAS IS IN IMMINENT DANGER FROM WHAT HE CALLS AN “INVASION” OF MIGRANTS — AND THAT THE STATE HAS THE RIGHT TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM THAT DANGER.
ABBOTT SAYS TOO MANY AMERICANS ARE DYING FROM FENTANYL POURING ACROSS THE BORDER… AND THAT TERRORISTS ON THE TERROR WATCH-LIST ARE FINDING WAYS INTO OUR COUNTRY – PUTTING ALL AMERICANS AT RISK.
IN DECEMBER 2023, US BORDER AGENTS RECORDED MORE THAN 302-THOUSAND ENCOUNTERS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER, INCLUDING 250,000 ARRESTS FOR ILLEGAL CROSSINGS.
[GOV. GREG ABBOTT / R-TX]
“TEXAS WILL CONTINUE TO EXERCISE THAT SELF DEFENSE AND EXPAND THE AREA WHERE WE’RE USING THAT SELF DEFENSE TO MAKE SURE WE’LL BE ABLE TO BETTER PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
ABBOTT SAYS – TEXAS AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN SECURING SHELBY PARK – NOTING THERE’S BEEN AN AVERAGE OF JUST THREE MIGRANTS CROSSING ILLEGALLY IN THAT AREA OVER THREE DAYS
[GOV. GREG ABBOTT / R-TX]
“the president is obligated by laws passed by congress, to actually secure the border and deny illegal entry. Texas has shown that we can reduce it to three people crossing across the border. Joe biden, it is your turn now, your obligation, your duty to follow the law congress passed and secure the border just as Texas has.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
13 REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS –INCLUDING ARKANSAS GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, AND NEBRASKA GOV. JIM PILLEN AMONG OTHERS — STOOD NEXT TO ABBOTT AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE – PLEDGING THEIR SUPPORT FOR TEXAS.
[GOV. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS / R-AK]
“ARKANSAS SENT NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS HERE LAST YEAR AND I CAN COMMIT TODAY WE’LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND AS MUCH AS IS NEEDED UNTIL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND JOE BIDEN STEP UP AND DO THEIR JOBS.”
[GOV. JIM PILLEN / R-NE]
“THE MESSAGE OF ALL GOVERNORS WITH GOVERNOR ABBOTT IS ALL WE’RE ASKING JOE BIDEN TO DO IS ENFORCE THE LAWS OF OUR COUNTRY.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
MEANWHILE – PRESIDENT BIDEN SPOKE TO MEXICO’S PRESIDENT OBRADOR OVER THE WEEKEND – AND “REITERATED THEIR SHARED COMMITMENT TO BOLSTER OUR JOINT EFFORTS TO COUNTER TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THE ILLICIT TRAFFICKING OF DRUGS, GUNS, AND PEOPLE” — ACCORDING TO A READOUT OF THE PHONE CALL FROM THE WHITE HOUSE.
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