Politics

GOP Governors Back Texas’ ‘Constitutional Right To Self-Defense’

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(Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Hailey Gomez General Assignment Reporter
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A handful of Republican governors took to social media Wednesday in support of Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s statement on his state’s “constitutional right to self-defense.”

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday allowing the Biden Administration to remove razor wire from Texas’ border, which had been put in place by the state and temporarily blocked border patrol agents from cutting it down. While the Department of Homeland Security had argued that the wire prevented them from accessing the border, Texas officials claimed it slowed the increase of illegal immigrants crossing into the state. 

Since the ruling Texas has refused to vacate their border position and instead erected more razor wire on Tuesday. Abbott released a statement on Texas’ “constitutional right to self-defense” Wednesday claiming that the “federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States,” emphasizing President Joe Biden “refused” to “enforce” immigration laws. (RELATED: Dem Lawmakers Urge Biden To Seize Control Of Texas National Guard)

“The federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States. The Executive Branch of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including immigration laws on the books right now. President Biden has refused to enforce those laws and has even violated them. The result is that he has smashed records for illegal immigration,” Abbott stated in a press release.

Following Abbott’s statement on the issue, a handful of Republican governors showed their support on X (formerly known as Twitter), with some stating that they would help assist Texas’ needs. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin stated that his state “stands with Texas,” noting that Abbott has been “doing the job Joe Biden and his border czar refuse to do to secure our border.” The Virginia governor continued to slam the Biden Administration stating that it has “turned every state to a border state.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis weighed in, stating that “if the Constitution really made states powerless to defend themselves against an invasion, it wouldn’t have been ratified in the first place and Texas would have never joined the union when it did.” DeSantis additionally noted that Florida would keep “assisting Texas with personnel and assets.” (RELATED: Abbott Delivers Statement To Biden, Insists Texas Has Authority To Repel Border ‘Invasion’)

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt simply stated that the state “stands with Texas” in a tweet. 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem applauded Abbott’s move to “invoke Texas’ constitutional authority to defend itself.” The Republican governor also stated that while the Biden Administration “has created a national security crisis and put Americans in danger,” her state has been “proud to help” Abbott’s “efforts to secure our border.”

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte additionally weighed in stating that Abbott is “doing what” Biden won’t. Gianforte called for securing the southern border, slamming Biden for “inviting cartels, illegal drugs, and human trafficking into the United States.”

While GOP lawmakers have backed Texas’ move, two Democrat House members have urged the president to federalize the National Guard. The southern border has seen a record number of illegal immigrants cross into the United States, with border patrol recording over 2 million encounters of illegal crossings within the fiscal year 2023, according to federal data.