The Texas federal-government clash over US-Mexico border control escalates as Governor Greg Abbott challenges the Biden administration and the Supreme Court, ordering additional razor wire installations to deter migration.
Despite the recent 5-4 Supreme Court ruling allowing wire removal, Abbott, a hard-right Republican, persists in fencing parts of the border. While federal agents may remove the wire under federal jurisdiction, Abbott contends the Texas National Guard, answering to the state governor, can lay more wire.
Abbott’s use of the invasion clause to enforce border security and immigration matters, despite federal control, raises legal concerns. Law professor Fatma Marouf criticizes Abbott’s decision, stating it undermines the Supreme Court’s injunction aimed at protecting migrants.
Abbott accuses President Biden of misusing taxpayer funds to create an open border, claiming a breach of the compact between the federal government and states.
Civil rights groups, including LULAC, condemn the use of razor wire and other inhumane deterrents, emphasizing the human tragedy. LULAC supports the Supreme Court ruling, asserting federal jurisdiction over border and immigration issues.
Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, publicly funded to curb irregular migration, uses razor wire coinciding with increased crossings. Texas’s actions raise concerns about asylum rights and coincide with Washington’s tense talks on tightening border restrictions, prompting further scrutiny.
