On January 24, 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott blamed the United States federal government for breaking its compact with the states after a Supreme Court ruling on January 22 that granted Border Patrol the power to take down razor wire set up by the Texas state government along the US’s southern border with Mexico.

In a statement, Abbott declared, “President Biden has refused to enforce [immigration] laws and has even violated them.”

It’s the latest round of tensions in a legal and political scuffle between Texas and the federal government. That said, Abbott has not announced any specific measures. 

Over the last two years, the Abbott administration has taken steps to have the state government take border enforcement matters into its own hands. For his part, Attorney General Ken Paxton flirted with the idea of formally declaring a border “invasion” in April 2022. 

In November 2022, Abbott sent Biden a letter citing a state’s constitutional right to repel an invasion. 

Over the last few years, the Abbott administration has gradually ramped up the border enforcement roles of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard, pointing to the constitutional authority for a state to repel an invasion.

“That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary. The Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other Texas personnel are acting on that authority, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border,” declared Abbott.

The Texas state government’s actions have kicked off several legal battles connected to Operation Lone Star, Abbott’s program to have the state government assume greater control over immigration enforcement.

It remains to be seen if Abbott will follow through with tougher border measures against the Fed’s negligent border policies. Republicans have a penchant for disappointing when the rubber meets the road. 

Nevertheless, the grassroots remains an x-factor when it comes to pressuring elected officials to do the right thing. 

It’s up to red-blooded America First nationalists and Texas patriots to push Abbott to continue strengthening Texas’ border with Mexico and repelling the veritable invasion at the border.