Border Crises: Texas Vs The Feds

Govenor Greg Abbott directed the State's Department of Public Safety and the National Guard to install razor wire along the Rio Grande to help curb and hinder the number of illegal border crossings experienced in his state.

On Monday, January 22, 2024, The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Biden Administration to the extent that the U.S. Border Patrol now has the authority to cut the razor wire installed by Texas while litigation continues.

Texas has taken a unique approach to address the crisis of illegal immigration on the southern border. This issue has resulted in over 10 million illegal crossings, the highest number in American history. The federal government's enforcement of immigration laws is inadequate, with only reactive measures taken by the underfunded and undermanned U.S. Border Patrol.

In 2021, Texas initiated Operation Lone Star, installing razor wire along the Rio Grande to deter illegal border crossings. However, this action resulted in jurisdictional disputes and lawsuits with the Biden Administration. The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Administration, allowing the Border Patrol to cut the wire during litigation.

The debate between federal and state entities is ongoing, but the existence of illegalities cannot be denied. Immigrants continue to enter the country illegally, affecting all Americans, not just those in border states. An Article V convention of states could provide a fresh legislative channel to address inadequately addressed national issues, including immigration law violations.

The crisis may be intentional, and an effective set of checks and balances originating at or involving a convention could be beneficial. The illegalities at the southern border remain inadequately addressed by an ineffective Congress, a disengaged executive branch, and a bloated federal bureaucracy. Tackling the problem at the grassroots level, as Texas has done, is a good start.

Undoubtedly, Texas and other states along the southern border aspire to have a more significant say in shaping the handling of immigration law violations within their borders.

Citizens in states not situated along the southern border are not immune to the cascading effects of the crisis.

The illegalities occurring at the U.S. southern border remain inadequately addressed by an ineffective Congress, a disengaged executive branch, and a bloated federal bureaucracy.

https://conventionofstates.com/news/border-crises-texas-vs-the-feds