Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration following reports that federal officials cut concertina wire placed by Texas to curb the flow of illegal aliens.
Texas had placed the wire along the shore of the Rio Grande as a deterrant to illegal crossings.
“In the midst of an unprecedented immigration crisis at the southern border, federal government officials are, once again, undermining Texas’s efforts to stem the flow of illegal Immigration,” the lawsuit states.
“By cutting Texas’s concertina wire, the federal government has not only illegally destroyed property owned by the State of Texas; it has also disrupted the State’s border security efforts, leaving gaps in Texas’s border barriers and damaging Texas’s ability to effectively deter illegal entry into its territory.”
The wire cutting took place in Eagle Pass, which has become a hotspot of illegal crossings. DHS has said they have been forced to cut the wire at points to detain and process illegal aliens who cross into the United States. Paxton, meanwhile, has maintained that Texas is within its rights to defend its border.
Texas installed razor wire in Eagle Pass to stop illegal crossings.
Today the Biden Admin CUT that wire, opening the floodgates to illegal immigrants.
I immediately deployed more Texas National Guard to repel illegal crossings & install more razor wire. pic.twitter.com/eMtLS8Z6WI
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 20, 2023
“Texas has the sovereign right to construct border barriers to prevent the entry of illegal aliens,” said Paxton. “Americans across the country were horrified to watch Biden’s open-border policy in action: agents were physically cutting wires and assisting the aliens’ entry into our state. This is illegal. It puts our country and our citizens at risk. The courts must put a stop to it, or Biden’s free-for-all will make this crushing immigration crisis even worse.”
A DHS spokesperson told Texas Scorecard that, while they do not comment on pending litigation, “Generally speaking, Border Patrol agents have a responsibility under federal law to take those who have crossed onto U.S. soil without authorization into custody for processing, as well as to act when there are conditions that put our workforce or migrants at risk.”
The full lawsuit may be read here.
