The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Biden administration over Texas’s controversial razor wire fencing at its southern border. But Texas is unmoved and has vowed to not relent in its fight.
On Monday, January 24, judges ruled 5-4 in the long-drawn dispute over the Texas border installation. This ruling has poured water on one of the state’s landmark efforts to secure its southern border.
Texas has been locked in a long war with the federal government over the influx of migrants. Since Biden took over the reins at the White House, there has been an unprecedented inflow of migrants into the Lone Star State.
State taxpayer’s funds have been overstretched trying to cater for millions of unwanted visitors. Also, there has been a resurgence in substance abuse, the most popular among which is fentanyl.
Also Read: Abbott Denies Allegations Texas Allowed Migrants to Drown in Rio Grande, Says They Are False
Republicans have also established a link between the overwhelming numbers of illegal immigrants and the crime waves across the country. Texas has also accused the federal government of promoting the influx of undocumented immigrants. Many have pointed to Biden’s open border policies as the source of the crisis.
In response to the situation that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has repeatedly tagged an “invasion,” the state has decided to take its destiny into its own hands. One of its biggest moves in that respect is installing roughly 30 miles of concertina wire at the border.
The Biden administration has opposed the wire fence installation entirely. It cited constitutional provisions that placed border protection solely in the hands of federal authorities.
However, the specific issue leading up to this ruling was a disagreement about the right of federal agents to cut through the border fencing. Texas was contesting the removal and destruction of the wire fencing by border patrol agents.
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On the other hand, federal agents argued that the wire fence stood in the way of their job, which also included enforcing the safety of asylum seekers.
Earlier on December 20, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in Texas’s favor. The court granted an injunction stating that federal agents could only breach the fencing in emergency situations.
But the Supreme Court ruling has effectively set aside that of the Appeal Court. After the ruling, federal authorities sent a request to Texas demanding full access to the border.
But the Texas governor remains defiant. Reacting to the ruling on his X account, Gov. Abbott had some exciting things to say.
“This is not over,” he declared. “Texas’s razor wire is an effective deterrent to the illegal crossings Biden encourages,” he opined.
“I will continue to defend Texas’s constitutional authority to secure the border and prevent the Biden Admin from destroying our property.”
Also Read: Biden Administration Sends Texas Cease-and-Desist on Border Access After Migrants’ Death
He further announced that the state will continue to invest in border protection infrastructure. He announced that Texas will “maintain its current posture in deterring illegal border crossings by utilizing effective border security measures.”
By this bold declaration, it is safe to say that the border tussle between the Republican-led state and the Democrat-led federal government is far from over.
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