The border dispute between Texas and the federal government has escalated in the past week, as Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has refused to comply with a Supreme Court order that allows federal agents to cut or clear out the razor wire that he installed on the border with Mexico.
Abbott has also been facing legal challenges from the Biden administration over his other border policies, such as installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande and jailing thousands of migrants on trespassing charges.
However, he has accused the Biden administration of abdicating its responsibility to secure the border and enforce the laws, and has vowed to continue his efforts to stop what he calls an invasion of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs, and terrorists.
On Thursday, Abbott received a show of support from 25 Republican governors, who issued a joint statement backing his actions and blasting the Biden administration. The governors said that they stand with Abbott for,
“Stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country”.
They also said that they share Abbott’s frustration with the administration.
“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.”
The statement was signed by the governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The only Republican governors who did not sign the statement were those of Maryland, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Nevada.
