GOP governors show support for Texas in border standoff

Republican governors are rallying behind Texas Gov. Greg Abbott amid court battles with the federal government over the state’s border policy.

A coalition of 24 Republican governors released a joint statement Thursday in support of Abbott’s efforts to exercise what he claims is Texas’ “constitutional right to self-defense.”

“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,” read the statement, signed by almost every Republican governor.

This show of support comes as Texas has mobilized considerable resources at the U.S.-Mexico border, such as the Texas National Guard and state troopers, in an approach that has often clashed with the operations of the federal Border Patrol.

This ongoing standoff between Texas and the federal government has unfolded through a series of legal and political challenges. The state is currently embroiled in court battles over its use of razor wire and floating buoys at the border, and the controversy has fueled conflict surrounding immigration legislation in Congress.

Abbott has justified these actions by accusing President Joe Biden and his administration of failing to enforce existing immigration laws, arguing that his actions are constitutionally protected.

The governors' joint statement echoed Abbott's position, asserting, “Because the Biden Administration has abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states, Texas has every legal justification to protect the sovereignty of our states and our nation."

Their support was offered “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,” the statement said.