Texas won’t give up its right to defend itself
Things are getting hotter than usual along the southern U.S. border, brought to a head by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision earlier this month that allows the federal government to remove razor wire the Texas government installed along a section of the Texas-Mexico border.
While this would not normally be a problem, things are anything but normal along the border right now because the Biden Administration not only doesn’t want to do its constitutional duty to protect the country and enforce the laws of the land, it doesn’t want anyone else doing it either.
That doesn’t sit well with Texas governor Greg Abbott, whose state is receiving the brunt of record numbers of illegal aliens crossing the border and the problems that brings. In fiscal year 2023, federal agents had more than two million encounters with illegal migrants coming to the United States, not to mention how many made it over the border without being seen by the authorities.
In the wake of the decision, Texas has not only chosen to ignore the ruling because it denies the state’s “constitutional right to self-defense,” the state is apparently erecting even more razor wire along its border.
“The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States. The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now,” Abbott said. “President Biden has ignored Texas’s demand that he perform his constitutional duties.”
The Biden Administration now finds itself on a greased tightrope during an election year. If it cracks down on Texas for breaking the law by disobeying the Supreme Court, then what could very likely be a Republican administration next year could crack down on sanctuary cities and states that break the law. If the Biden administration lets the razor wire stay, then it will anger Democrats during an election year.
The thing is, not only are Republicans against the federal government on this issue, so are many Democrats in the big liberal cities who are seeing crime rise, services decrease, and schools being turned into migrant centers because of decisions being made by their own party.
Then there’s the question of whether Texas is actually violating the law. Yes, the federal government has the authority to enforce immigration law. However, Abbott pointed out in his statement, “James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and the other visionaries who wrote the U.S. Constitution foresaw that States should not be left to the mercy of a lawless president who does nothing to stop external threats like cartels smuggling millions of illegal immigrants across the border.”
He said the administration hasn’t ensured its obligation found in Article IV, § 4 of the Constitution to “guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion.”
This failure allows for Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to go into effect. This says that a state, without consent of Congress can engage in War if it is “actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit of delay.”
The invasion is underway, and the next Alamo for Texas might be Eagle Pass.
Michael A. Letts is the CEO and Founder of In-VestUSA, a national grassroots non-profit organization helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bulletproof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.
Image: Library of Congress