Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is escalating his fight against the Biden administration’s border policies, adopting a stance reminiscent of the Confederacy. Many liberals dismiss Texas as a side show, but it is actually ground zero in the battle between state’s rights and federal authority. Abbott has erected sadistic obstructions along the border, including razor wire and underwater traps, to harm and potentially kill migrants. Despite the clear violation of federal and international laws, the response from the Biden administration has been slow and legalistic.
The Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of the Biden administration in a case regarding Texas’s efforts to obstruct federal border patrol agents. However, the vote was a close 5-4, indicating that there are justices willing to defend Texas’s rebellion against the federal government. Governor Abbott has claimed that Texas is under foreign “invasion” and has the authority to “defend itself” through any means. This rhetoric is being echoed by other red-state governors, who are threatening to send troops to Texas to fight federal agents.
The situation in Texas is not just a constitutional crisis, but a rebellion against federal authority and basic human decency. Texas is blocking humanitarian aid to migrants and actively harming them, while the Biden administration struggles to enforce federal laws. If President Biden does not take a strong stance against Texas’s actions, the conflict is likely to escalate. Governor Abbott is betting that Biden does not have the will to stop him, similar to how the Confederacy bet that Abraham Lincoln would not fight to preserve the Union.
