WASHINGTON — Tensions between Texas and the US
Federal Government have heightened over control of the US-Mexico border
following Texas Governor Greg Abbott's statement that he will defy President
Biden and the US Supreme Court by installing more fresh barbed wire barriers to
prevent migrant crossings.
اضافة اعلان
On Monday, the US Supreme Court issued a
ruling allowing the Border Patrol to remove razor wire installed by the state
of Texas along the border with Mexico. Subsequently, the Biden administration
gave Texas a deadline to comply with the court's decision.
This decision followed a legal battle between
the federal government and Texas over the use of razor wire as a prevention
measure for illegal immigration. In May 2021, Abbott ordered the installation
of more wire by declaring a border disaster, allowing the state to erect
fencing on private land near the Rio Grande. In October, Texas Attorney General
Ken Paxton sued the Biden administration because Customs and Border Protection
agents were removing the razor wire. The lawsuit claimed agents were cutting
through it to rescue migrants, which Texas alleged was damaging state property
to aid migrants in crossing.
Timeline
leading to the court’s decision
According to CNN, leading up to the court’s
decision, a series of events unfolded in Eagle Pass, Texas, highlighting
escalating tensions between the state and federal authorities over control of
the US-Mexico border.
On January 10, Texas implemented measures to
block US Border Patrol agents from accessing a 2.5-mile area, including Shelby
Park, using razor wire and gates. Two days later, a mother and her two children
were found drowned in the Rio Grande near Shelby Park after the Texas Military
Department (TMD) assumed control of the area. Subsequently, on January 13,
Texas allowed limited Border Patrol access to the area, marking a temporary
easing of tensions.
However, on January 15, a Border Patrol agent
was stopped by the Texas Army National Guard within the restricted area, further
exacerbating the dispute. The Texas Attorney General's refusal to end the
blockade on January 17 reflected a firm stance, accompanied by the state's
decision to start arresting migrants for trespassing in Shelby Park.
The situation escalated on January 22 when the
Supreme Court allowed the Border Patrol to remove Texas' razor wire. Following
this development, on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security demanded full
access to the Shelby Park area.
Despite federal demands, the Texas National
Guard continued installing fencing and razor wire on Wednesday, defying the
federal government's directives. Moreover, on Thursday, the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) issued a second deadline to Texas, urging the state to
agree to reopen the disputed area and restore federal authority over border
operations, which expired on Saturday.
As news circulated about Texas's intentions to
secede from the US, 25 Republican states issued a statement in support of
Abbott in his legal battle with the federal government, "We stand
in solidarity with our fellow Governor, Greg Abbott, and the State of Texas in
utilizing every tool and strategy, including razor wire fences, to secure the
border," the statement said on Thursday. "Because the Biden
Administration has abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states,
Texas has every legal justification to protect the sovereignty of our states
and our nation."
In response, on Friday, White House press
secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a briefing, “I would say to them that if
they truly want to help with the issue at the border, with the immigration
system, that they need to talk to the congressional members, the senators in
their state," Jean-Pierre added, "They need to ask them to make sure
that they have the resources they need within their respective states to take
action to actually deal with a broken system."
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