Opinion | The author's opinion does not necessarily reflect Sarah Palin's view.
Texas is at odds with the federal government over access to the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass.
Border Patrol’s operations have been impeded by Texas, leading to a legal dispute.
Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello, said, “Illegal border crossings have always happened.”
“Groups of 10, 12 — that was a large group. But now you see 3,000 and 4,000 in one day. I never thought something like this could happen,” he continued.
Texas border wall construction continues.
We will use every available tool and strategy to secure the border in Biden’s absence. pic.twitter.com/MfZEgv7Bi3
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 16, 2024
The Texas Military Department announced that it would “restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area.”
Homeland Security General Counsel Jonathan Meyer, wrote, “The recent actions by the State of Texas have impeded operations of the Border Patrol. Those actions conflict with the authority and duties of Border Patrol under federal law and are preempted under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. Texas’s actions also improperly seek to regulate the federal government.”
“Texas’s actions are clearly unconstitutional and are actively disrupting the federal government’s operations,” he continued.
Texas argues that it won’t comply with what it sees as President Biden’s open-border policies.
The state’s Attorney General asserts that the federal government is responsible for endangering migrants, and criticizes the Biden administration’s approach to border security.
Attorney General Ken Paxton responded, “Your letter misstates both the facts and the law in demanding that Texas surrender to President Biden’s open-border policies.”
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) should stop wasting scarce time and resources suing Texas, and start enforcing the immigration laws Congress already has on the books,” he continued.
Paxton added, “it is DHS and Biden Administration policies that are leading migrants to risk their lives, and sometimes lose them, trying to cross the Rio Grande. If you really care about migrants being put in ‘imminent danger to life and safety,’ your agency should stop driving them into the waters of the river. Nobody drowns on a bridge.”
Paxton wrote, “your [Meyer’s] demand letter rests on a more fundamental misunderstanding of federal law and the role of sovereign States within our constitutional order.”
“President Biden has ordered your agency to do the exact opposite, in keeping with his open-borders campaign promise. There is not even a pretense that you are trying to prevent the illegal entry of aliens,” alleged Paxton.
“According to your letter, ‘[t]he U.S. Constitution tasks the federal government with … securing the Nation’s borders.’ When were you planning to start?” asked Paxton.
“Rather than addressing Texas’s urgent requests for protection, President Biden has authorized DHS to send a threatening letter through its lawyers,” he explained.
“But Texas has lawyers, too, and I will continue to stand up for this State’s constitutional powers of self-defense. Instead of running to the U.S. Department of Justice in hopes of winning an injunction, you should advise your clients at DHS to do their job and follow the law,” concluded Paxton.
The conflict reflects a broader disagreement over immigration policy and the role of states in enforcing federal laws.
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