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Gov. Greg Abbott said on Wednesday that he has declared an invasion at the border because of policies of President Joe Biden’s administration. He said that the state has deployed the Texas National Guard, the Department of Public Safety and local law enforcement. This represents the most recent move by the governor aimed at combating illegal immigration using highly controversial and potentially dangerous methods.
“We are building a border wall, razor wire and marine barriers,” he said in a post on X Wednesday. “We are also repelling migrants.”
Attached to Abbott’s social media post was a November 2022 letter to the Biden administration in which he argues that the federal government has failed to protect the border, “thereby enabling the state of Texas to protect its own territory against invasion by the Mexican drug cartels.”
“Your inaction has led to catastrophic consequences,” the letter said.
In a post just hours before, Abbott accused the Biden administration of cutting razor wire in Eagle Pass. “Today the Biden admin cut that wire, opening the floodgates to illegal immigrants,” he said in the post. “I immediately deployed more Texas National Guard to repel illegal crossings and install more razor wire.”
Abbott also continues to tout his busing of migrants to sanctuary cities.
Daniel Hatoum, senior supervising attorney with the Beyond Borders Program at the Texas Civil Rights Project, said the governor’s rhetoric is a fear tactic to gain political points. “Instead of actually helping people and making real changes to address the needs of people seeking safety in Texas, he continues to toy with their lives,” he said. “By declaring this invasion, he is able to continue his ploy to fund Operation Lone Star, which has done nothing but harm migrants and border communities.”
“Instead of actually helping people and making real changes to address the needs of people seeking safety in Texas, he continues to toy with their lives.” – Daniel Hatoum, Texas Civil Rights Project
Hatoum said this rhetoric creates confusion and perpetuates the harm migrants face from law enforcement. “By declaring an ‘invasion’ Abbott justifies law enforcement arrests, extended jail time, and use of force against people whose greatest crime amounts to seeking refuge to protect themselves and their families,” he said.
This is purely political, according to Hatoum. He said Abbott is well aware there is the opportunity to call a special legislative session this fall, when he could use the framing of an invasion to ask the legislature to green light even harsher treatment of migrants and expand the reach of Operation Lone Star. “This program has already wasted billions of dollars in taxpayer money and has only resulted in civil rights abuses,” Hatoum said. “By declaring an ‘invasion’ Governor Abbott is scapegoating brave, courageous people who made the journey in search of better opportunities and safety by labeling them as ‘invaders’ or ‘other.'”
Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Razor wire lines the banks of the Rio Grande as migrants wade through the water near Eagle Pass.
Sara Button
This comes as border cities see an increase in migrant crossings this week. According to The Texas Tribune, thousands of migrants have crossed into Eagle Pass and El Paso, marking the highest number since the expiration of the emergency health order known as Title 42, which blocked asylum seekers from legally entering the country.
On Wednesday, Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. signed an emergency declaration due to a “severe undocumented immigrant surge” into the city. The state of disaster is set to last for a period of seven days unless renewed by the local City Council.
“The city of Eagle Pass is committed to the safety and well being of our local citizens,” Salinas Jr. said in a press release. “The emergency declaration grants us the ability to request financial resources to provide the additional services caused by the influx of undocumented immigrants.”
This comes as the state and federal government are in a legal battle over immigration enforcement efforts. The Justice Department recently sued the state over buoys installed in the Rio Grande used to keep people from entering the country. On Sept. 7, a federal judge ordered the floating barrier removed from the river, but a day later, a panel of judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state could keep the border barricades in place.
Immigration lawyer Kate Lincoln Goldfinch told KVUE that it’s dishonest and dangerous to categorize what’s happening at the border as an invasion. Besides that, she says Abbott’s rhetoric is likely meant to help his chances in the federal lawsuit, “because the U.S. Constitution says a state may not enforce federal immigration laws unless it is being invaded.”
