FIRST ON FOX: Texas Republicans serving in Congress are rallying around Gov. Greg Abbott amid his feud with the Biden administration over defending the border from waves of illegal immigrants.
In a Friday letter to Abbott, 24 of the 25 Republican members of Texas’ congressional delegation, led by Rep. Keith Self, implored Abbott to “hold the line,” not just against those crossing the border, but also against the Biden administration, who they say enabled the “illegal alien invasion.”
“We write to encourage your Administration to hold the line against the Biden Administration and continue to do everything you can to protect our Southern Border,” the members wrote.
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Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration have been feuding over how to handle the growing border crisis. (Getty Images)
“We appreciate your leadership for Texas at this difficult time in light of the recent Supreme Court vacating of the 5th Circuit’s protective stay and the Biden Administration’s continued support for the federal removal of razor wire,” they wrote.
The group cited the importance of federalism, and the ability of states to protect their “sovereign rights,” but also blasted President Biden’s “reckless” border policies that “continue to put American sovereignty in danger.”
“Governor Abbott, we appreciate your resolve at this time and know you will do what is in the best interest of Texas. Please continue to use all the resources and constitutional authority at your disposal to enforce our border security. We will continue to stand with you against this illegal alien invasion enabled by cartels and the Biden Administration,” they added.
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Rep. Tony Gonzales was the only member of the Texas Republican delegation that did not sign the letter, although he has been a sharp critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis, and one of the staunchest proponents of impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
A spokesperson for Gonzales told Fox News Digital his absence from Self’s letter was not intentional, and that he “stands with Texas and supports Governor Abbott’s efforts to push back against the Biden administration.”
“I appreciate Governor Abbott’s resolve and know he will do what is in the best interest of Texas,” Self told Fox News Digital. “As Governor Abbott uses the resources and constitutional authority at his disposal to enforce border security, I believe the American people will continue standing with Texas, and against this foreign invasion.”
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, arrives to the U.S. Capitol for a procedural vote on a motion to vacate against Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Tuesday, October 3, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Abbott’s feud with the Biden administration centers on enforcement of the border, and whether Texas has the authority to defend itself from the waves of migrants overwhelming law enforcement and immigration officials.
The two sides have been feuding since 2021 when the migrant crisis escalated and Texas launched Operation Lone Star to surge resources to the border.
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The administration recently sued over an anti-illegal immigration law that allows state and local law enforcement to arrest illegal immigrants. It has also sued over the state’s setting up of buoys in the Rio Grande. The administration says immigration enforcement is up to the federal government and Texas is interfering.
An aerial view shows an immigrant group passing cross water and barbed wires and walking to US – Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, United States on February 1, 2024. (Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on an emergency appeal to temporarily overturn a lower court’s injunction that banned the federal government from cutting razor fencing Texas had installed along the border near Eagle Pass while litigation continues.
Following the ruling, Abbott declared his constitutional authority to reserve the right of his state to self-defense against an invasion, adding that the executive branch had broken its constitutional pact with the states by failing to enforce federal immigration laws.
Abbott has also picked up the support of more than two dozen Republican states who have publicly expressed their support for the state. Meanwhile, some Democrats have urged the Biden administration to seize control of the National Guard.
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Fox News’ Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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