Governor Greg Abbott’s Letter
The Governor and Attorney General of Texas view the Biden Administration’s open border policy as an invasion and so have been taking steps to secure the Texas border. Texas put buoys in the middle of the Rio Grande River last year and most recently have been in dispute with the Biden Administration over razor wire they had installed along the river bank.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has communicated with Biden and his administration on numerous occasions, including hand delivering a letter to Biden on his visit to Texas last year. Governor Abbott sent another letter to President Biden on January 24, 2024, stating that Biden has failed to fulfill his oath of office, ending his letter with
The failure of the Biden Administration to fulfill the duties imposed by Article IV, § 4 has triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, which reserves to this State the right of self-defense. For these reasons, I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary. The Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other Texas personnel are acting on that authority, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border.
Here are the sections of the US Constitution to which Governor Abbott refers
Article IV, § 4 The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence. (Emphasis added).
Article I, § 10, Clause 3 No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay. (Emphasis added).
Republican Governors Association
Twenty-five (of 26) of the other Republican Governors have signed a letter supporting Abbott’s decision. They reiterated the Constitutional justification presented by Governor Abbott and said, in part
President Biden and his Administration have left Americans and our country completely vulnerable to unprecedented illegal immigration pouring across the Southern border. Instead of upholding the rule of law and securing the border, the Biden Administration has attacked and sued Texas for stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country.
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. We do it in part because the Biden Administration is refusing to enforce immigration laws already on the books and is illegally allowing mass parole across America of migrants who entered our country illegally.
Other States Have Sent State National Guard Troops
Newsweek reported on January 26 that several Republican Governors had begun sending personnel and resources months ago. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders deployed 80 Arkansas National Guard troops between June and August last year. A spokesperson for Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin told Newsweek that Virginia had deployed 100 soldiers and airmen to to Texas after a May Executive Order by Youngkin. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem plans to travel to the “warzone” at the border and said in an interview with Hannity that she is also willing to send troops. North Dakota sent 125 soldiers in response to the Texas’ Emergency Assistance Compact. https://www.newsweek.com/gop-governors-troops-texas-civil-war-fears-border-1864435?spot_im_redirect_source=pitc
Former President Donald Trump is reported to have urged all willing States to send State National Guard Troops. He said at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Saturday “When I’m president, instead of trying to send Texas a restraining order, I will send them reinforcements.”1
Proposed Senate “Bipartisan” Immigration Bill
There is a draft Immigration Bill in the Senate, with Chuck Schumer (D) and James Lankford (R) being the chief negotiators. Some details have been leaked but the actual text of the bill has not been released. If the leaked details are correct, there could be little Republican support. (For example, it is reported that immigration restrictions aren’t triggered unless border crossings exceed 5000/day and those 1.8 million annual allowed illegal migrants would be given work permits. Even at 4000/day as “reported” by other sources that’s almost 1.5 million.) Senator Lankford has said that he is looking forward to President Trump and others being able to read the bill as there is a lot of misinformation about it (perhaps including the example given above).
President Biden and the Democrat Senate majority are promoting this draft bill, and the Leftstream media are portraying it as the best deal ever offered the Republicans. Speaker Johnson and other Republican leaders are less sanguine about the Senate Bill and are pushing HR2, the immigration bill that passed the House last May. We may end up with a bill passed by the Republican controlled House and a different bill passed by the Democrat controlled Senate. We’ll have to wait and see the details of the Senate Bill and how it compares to HR2. It would certainly be a positive step if the current crisis produces truly bipartisan immigration reform (but I’m not holding my breath).
Conclusion
The Biden’s Administration’s open border policy is wreaking havoc on America. So much so that even the Mayors of solidly blue northern cities are complaining. Here is just one graphic (From the Economist2) that summarizes the result of Biden’s open border policy:
The border has overtaken the economy as the most important issue for voters, forcing Biden to begin addressing it. We will need to watch what happens at the Texas border and in the public debate in the days and weeks to come.
For all 10 charts and the analysis, read the Economist article at https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2024/01/24/americas-border-crisis-summarised-in-ten-charts
Excellent Jeff 👍🏻😃 sounds like things are ramping up down there. Americans are so sick of this milk toast administration. They are standing up 🇺🇸