With many on the right arguing that President Joe Biden isn’t doing anywhere near enough to defend the border from the massive waves of migrants crashing across it, in many cases bringing drugs and other forms of crime with them, Texas Governor Greg Abbott decided to take matters into his own hands. He deployed National Guard troopers, deployed border barriers and barbed wire, and even stuck barriers in the Rio Grande to stop migrants from swimming across.
Well, Biden’s Department of Justice is apparently upset that Governor Abbott is defending the border and so is demanding he stop. It did so in a letter just sent to him, saying, in part, “The State of Texas’s actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties.”
A spokesperson for the DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division confirmed that the letter had been sent, telling Fox News Digital that the DOJ “sent a letter to the Texas Governor and Attorney General providing notice of our intent to pursue legal action related to unlawful construction of a floating barrier in the Rio Grande River, pursuant to section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 U.S.C. § 403.”
Gov. Abbott is so far unrepentant. In a statement released on the 21 of July, the same day the DOJ letter, his office noted the massive success of the border defense program so far, saying, “Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 394,200 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 31,300 criminal arrests, with more than 29,100 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 422 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.”
Continuing, Gov. Abbott’s office foisted the blame for the border situation on President Biden, saying, “Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden’s open border policies.”
Gov. Abbott also fired back in a rebuttal to the Biden DOJ released on Twitter. Beginning, Gov. Abbott argued that Texas has the legal authority to defend its border and is exercising that authority. He said, “Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution. We have sent the Biden Administration numerous letters detailing our authority, including the one I hand-delivered to President Biden earlier this year.”
Continuing, Gov. Abbott echoed what his office said in the press release and argued that the program was only necessary because of Biden’s failures, writing, “The tragic humanitarian crisis on the border was created because of Biden’s refusal to secure the border. His open border policies encourage migrants to risk their lives crossing illegally through the Rio Grande, instead of safely and legally over a bridge.”
Ending, Gov. Abbott remained unrepentant and refused to back down, saying, “Texas is stepping up to address this crisis. We will continue to deploy every strategy to protect Texans and Americans — and the migrants risking their lives. We will see you in court, Mr. President.“
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