AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement Wednesday, reiterating his belief Texas has constitutional authority that “supersedes” federal statutes at the Texas-Mexico border.
Abbott previously declared an “invasion” under Articles in the U.S. Constitution, which he said reserves the state the right of self-defense from illegal immigration.
“I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas’s constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. 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,” Abbott said.
Abbott’s statement Wednesday involved “Texas’ constitutional right to defend and protect itself” concerning securing the 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’s statement reads.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Border Patrol agents to continue cutting the razor wire Texas installed along a part of the border. Abbott authorized the wire in an attempt to reduce illegal crossings from Mexico.
The Associated Press said the acts were at the center of an escalating standoff between the Biden administration and Texas over immigration enforcement.
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