By William Melhado
The U.S. Supreme Court (click here) on Monday ordered Texas to allow federal border agents access to the state’s border with Mexico, where Texas officials have deployed miles of concertina wire.
The order did not explain justices’ decisions. For now, it effectively upholds longstanding court rulings that the Constitution gives the federal government sole responsibility for border security.
In October of last year, Texas sued the federal government after Border Patrol agents cut some of the wire strung along the Rio Grande, arguing the Department of Homeland Security destroyed the state’s property and interfered in Texas’ border security efforts.
The 5-4 order from the Supreme Court vacated a previous injunction from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting the concertina wire....
Some Republican governors, such as Missouri and New Hampshire, are backing up the illegal activity in Texas by sending National Guard troops.
National guard troops can be called up to serve by state governors, I don't believe it is within their capacity to deploy the troops to other areas of the country or the world. That capacity to deploy National Guard troops is a federal authority.
This is all political (click here) because Republicans promised the southern border would be secure and there were Republicans elected to the USA House of Representative from districts along the Texas border to allow that to happen. US Republicans only see running for office as politics. The Chief Justice John Roberts always falls to the political argument as he did in the Colorado decision regarding excluding Trump from the Republican primary election. National Guard troops are for national security measures, not politics.
February 18, 2024
February 20, 2024
ByQuinn Owen and Armando Garcia
Texas is building a new military base for National Guard (click here) members deployed to the southern border in Eagle Pass, Texas -- where state and federal authorities have been in a tense conflict over dealing with immigration -- Gov. Greg Abbott said.
At a news conference on Friday, Abbott announced the construction of what he said would a new "base camp" that could house up to 2,300 soldiers.
"As opposed to being scattered around many different places across this region, they will be operating out of one place. It will amass a large army in a very strategic area. It will increase the speed and flexibility of the Texas National Guard to be able to respond to crossings," Abbott said.
Officials expect that by mid-April they'll have a 300-bed capacity and will add another 300 each month until completion, Texas Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, Abbott's top military adviser, said at the Friday press conference. The camp will include several features like large dining halls, individual rooms for soldiers and medical care facilities....
Greg Abbott has made speeches implying the governor wants the right to order the deaths of those crossing the Rio Grande to the USA. Trump has considered Abbott for a Vice Presidential candidate.
The border crossings are at issue. There are problems. But, violation of the Rule of Law is not the answer. The US Senate has run aground again in attempting to end any obstruction to passing border protections. The US House simply is not interested in any legislation. They are interested in their own politics and not much else. This rancher in Arizona would love to get relief from border crossings, but, the USA House refuses to act. Greg Abbott should be pounding the halls of the USA House to bring about agreement and not simply allowing politics to rule the day.
By Eli Saslow and Erin Schaff
...His plan for the day (click here) was to survey three remote water tanks and locate a few lost cows — simple tasks in a place where everything had become increasingly complicated during the last several months. Jim laid out a map of southern Arizona on the hood of his truck and showed Sue the route he planned to take across their cattle grazing land, an area three times the size of Manhattan located on the outskirts of Arivaca, Ariz. He traced his finger over a desolate mountain range, across six canyons, and down to the five and a half miles of their ranch that ran along the U.S.-Mexico border in what had become one of the busiest corridors for a record wave of undocumented immigration....
The nonsense in the US House and at the Texas border is nothing but politics. Inaction and fear mongering is the resolve of the Republican Party.
February 21, 2024
By Isaac Arnsdorf, Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey
As president, (click here) Trump sought to use military planes and bases for deportation. Now, he and his allies are talking about a new effort that current and former officials warn could be impractical and dangerous....
The USA does not need a militarized southern border, it needs a better neighborhood.
