Texas again rejected Biden's demands for full access to the Shelby Park area in Eagle Pass, which was taken over by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent a letter to Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton insisting it wants unrestricted access to the area. But once again, Texas responded that it would only allow entry to Border Patrol personnel who need to respond to emergencies.
According to Fox News, DHS alleged that the federal government acquired real estate interests and, therefore, would have the right to access them. "Because the Department owns property rights to the areas depicted on the attached map, we demand that you immediately remove any and all obstructions therein," the letter states.
But Paxton responded to DHS and denied its claims: "With respect to parcels identified in your maps that are actually in the vicinity of the park, publicly available records suggest the United States does not even purport to own what your latest letter claims," he replied. Likewise, Paxton asked DHS to provide maps and titles showing the areas he claims are owned by the U.S. government.
Paxton also clarified that his office "will continue to defend Texas's efforts to protect its southern border against every effort by the Biden Administration to undermine the State's constitutional right of self-defense..."
Half of U.S. governors support Texas
Governors, mostly from conservative states, expressed solidarity with Texas after Abbott affirmed the state's right to "self-defense" amid the border crisis.
On Monday, the United States Supreme Court sided with the Biden Administration in temporarily vacating a Fifth Circuit court order that prevented federal agents from cutting the barbed wire fence that Texas put up along the border to keep out illegal immigrants.
The Biden Administration also sued Texas over the law recently signed by Abbott, which allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. Abbott has said Texas has the right to "self-defense" against federal inaction over the border crisis.
