The Texas border standoff has further intensified following the recent Supreme Court emergency injunction in favor of the federal government. On Jan. 22, the Supreme Court “agreed to temporarily let U.S. Border Patrol agents cut or remove razor wire fencing that Texas officials placed along part of the Republican-governed state’s border with Mexico to deter illegal border crossings,” according to Reuters.
This ruling, while surprising considering the conservative nature of this court, gives the federal government complete jurisdiction to assume control of the border after Texas Governor Greg Abbott took steps to secure it using state agencies and resources.
The razor wire has already led to multiple deaths, with one woman and two children drowning trying to cross the river on the contested part of the border. Federal agents were barred from attempting to save the migrants by Texas military officers.
In clear defiance of the ruling, Abbott has further committed to flexing his political muscles by increasing patrol of the border and installing more razor wire barriers. This dangerous escalation has also been heightened by 25 Republican governors supporting Abbott’s stance, with Abbott commenting that he believes those governors would commit National Guard troops to the standoff if needed.
This clear and blatant grandstanding by Abbott is leading Texas and the nation as a whole into treacherous waters, with the dangerous rhetoric of an impending civil war being popularized as a result of this dispute. As citizens, we cannot allow this to continue. We must advocate for the de-escalation of tensions at the border to avoid this senseless conflict.
You can find the contact information for your local representative’s office at https://house.texas.gov/members/ and https://senate.texas.gov/members.php.
