Texas has sent Joe Biden yet another message urging the US President to reinforce border razor fencing during an ongoing row about “sovereign authority”.
Governor Greg Abbott highlighted how the Lone Star State is reinforcing barriers in a key border crossing area on Monday.
He also pledged to exercise Texas' “sovereign authority” as Washington DC and Austin continue to battle over border enforcement.
Abbott posted an image of Texas National Guard personnel reinforcing border barriers in El Paso, including razor wire.
A group of migrants wait to be processed after crossing the Rio Grande river on April
GETTY
The area has witnessed a surge in the number of migrants crossing the border in recent weeks.
Abbott said: “Texas National Guard soldiers continue to reinforce border barriers in El Paso to deter and repel illegal crossings.
“Texas will exercise our sovereign authority to protect our southern border – and our nation – because President Biden refuses to enforce federal immigration laws.”
Texas' Operation Lone Star established razor wire and other barriers along the border to halt surging numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the border since 2021.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Biden are at loggerheads on how to deal with the influx of migrants at the US-Mexico borderReutersAbbott later sued Biden’s Administration after federal officers cut wires in order to apprehend migrants already in the US.
Texas seized Shelby Park and continued reinforcing the razor wire and other barriers.
The White House said in a statement during the Shelby Park incident: “Whether it is leaving migrants on the side of the road in the dead of winter, installing razor wire to make Border Patrol’s job more dangerous, promoting extreme and unconstitutional laws like SB 4, or his latest actions in Eagle Pass, Governor Abbott has repeatedly proven that he is not interested in solutions and only seeks to politicise the border.”
Border Patrol agents apprehended over 137,000 migrants who crossed the US southern border unlawfully in March.
Joe Biden is facing a backlash from Texas over the migrant crisis
REUTERSThe figure was down from nearly 141,000 in February.
Immigration has soared as an issue facing Americans ahead of the election later this year.
Significantly more Americans name immigration as the most important problem facing the US than did a month ago.
The figure soared from 20 per cent to 28 per cent, with immigration cementing itself as the most significant single issue.