Greg Abbott Vows To Empower Law Enforcement To Arrest Illegal Migrants

On Sunday, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) joined Maria Bartiromo to discuss the growing crisis at the southern border and the efforts being undertaken by the state of Texas to prevent more illegal immigration into the Lone Star State. Since Biden took office, Texas has utilized nearly every aspect of its power to secure the southern border, including the deployment of thousands of national guardsmen via Operation Lone Star and the deployment of razor wire and buoys to deter crossings. During the interview, however, Abbott revealed that he would sign a bill recently passed by the legislature that would give the state another weapon in its arsenal.

Last month, the state legislature passed SB 4, which would give local police the authority to arrest those in violation of the law. Local judges could also be granted the authority to subsequently deport those individuals, a legal maneuver that has been the sole responsibility of the federal government. "Texas is having to step up and do even more to make sure that we deny illegal entry into the state of Texas and as a result … in two weeks I'll be singing [the] new law," Abbott said in an interview with Fox News. 

"The problem is extraordinarily bad. The numbers are high, and that is because Joe Biden continues to lay out the welcome mat welcoming illegal immigrants into the United States of America," the governor said about Biden's open border policies, per The Daily Wire. While the new bill is expected to be instrumental in the fight against illegal immigration, it will likely face considerable legal hurdles due to the Supreme Court case Arizona v. United States, which prevents the empowering of local and state authorities to enforce federal immigration laws.

Despite these potential legal roadblocks, Rep. David Spiller (R), the author of the legislation, explained that "Texas has the right, authority, and ability to protect its borders," and it is "a Texas solution to a Texas problem." Some lawmakers, however, disagreed with the assessment that Texas has the constitutional authority to deport illegal migrants. Sen. Brian Birdwell (R) argued that only the federal government has the authority to carry out such an action. "We are setting a terrible precedent for the future by invalidating our obedience and faithfulness to the Constitution," he said, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

In response to the bill's passage, 30 former immigration judges agreed with Sen. Birdwell, writing, "The proposed law should offend those who treasure our constitutional protections. And legislators should consider the long-term repercussions of their essentially proclaiming that the Constitution, federal law, and due process can simply be ignored."

While the Biden administration has continued to allow for over eight million migrants to enter the country, states like Texas are stepping up. Abbott's decision to utilize Texas National Guardsmen to do what the federal government has failed to do was bold, and his decision to sign SB 4 will continue to show that Texas, and not the federal government, is leading the way in securing the southern border. 

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