In the middle of an intense immigration conflict between the Biden administration and the state of Texas led by the Republican governor Greg Abbott, a senior Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official told Fox News Digital that immigration agents do not plan to remove the barbed wire fences placed in border cities.
These fences, according to Texas authorities, were placed to try to stop the massive flow of illegal migrants. However, the Biden administration is legally fighting to remove them, even taking the case to the Supreme Court, which, in a close vote, ruled in favor of the federal government allowing federal agents to remove the fences if they so choose.
“While this issue plays out in the courts, the relationship between Border Patrol, Texas DPS [Department of Public Safety], & TMD [Texas Military Dept.] remains strong,” said the official who spoke to Fox News anonymously. “Our focus is and will always be the mission of protecting this country and its people. On the ground, we continue to work alongside these valuable partners in that endeavor.”
According to immigration law, responsibility for caring for the border falls on the federal government. However, after enduring three years in a row of a severe immigration crisis, Governor Abbott has declared that what is occurring is an “invasion,” which, as explained in a recent press release, gives Texas the power to protect its borders above federal statutes in the face of the “abandonment” of the Biden administration.
After the statement, more than 20 Republican states came out in support of Texas, backing Abbott’s firm stance.
🚨 #Texas | Governors of seventeen states have stated they support Texas' decision not to abide by Biden's order and keep the border closed. pic.twitter.com/LWevZQcozr
— VOZ (@Voz_US) January 26, 2024
However, the disputes between Texas and the federal government do not appear to affect how federal and state officials work together, according to the senior official who spoke to Fox News.
“Bottom line: Border Patrol has no plans to remove infrastructure (c-wire) placed by Texas along the border. Our posture remains the same. If we need to access an area for emergency response, we will do so. When that happens, we will coordinate with Texas DPS & TMD,” the official stated.
