The Biden administration announced this week that it is suing the state of Texas over a new law that makes illegal entry into the Lone Star State a state-level crime. The news comes as attempted crossings into the United States reached an all-time high in December.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) wrote on social media that the president was suing him “because I signed a law making it illegal for an illegal immigrant to enter or attempt to enter Texas directly from a foreign nation.”
Abbott said that he liked his chances in the lawsuit, adding that “Texas is the only government in America trying to stop illegal immigration.”
Biden sued me today because I signed a law making it illegal for an illegal immigrant to enter or attempt to enter Texas directly from a foreign nation.
I like my chances.
Texas is the only government in America trying to stop illegal immigration. pic.twitter.com/3NsVnkQ8WM
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 4, 2024
The administration launched the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas following a warning that if the state enforced the law, it would be challenged in court. Barring a successful court challenge,
Senate Bill 4 will go into effect on March 5.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote that the suit was intended to preserve the D.C.’s “exclusive authority under federal law to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens.”
Texas, Florida and Arizona have sent thousands of migrants northward following the sharp increase of illegal crossings since the start of the Biden administration.
The effort has resulted in significant concerns among Democratic Party-dominated states and cities about the effects of illegal immigration, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) stating that the more than 150,000 migrants who have entered his city since 2022 would destroy it.
Texas has also expanded its efforts to stop illegal crossings, including using state police and its National Guard. The state is also engaged in a legal battle with the Biden administration over the use of floating border barriers along the Rio Grande.
The situation at the border appears to be deteriorating, with more than 200,000 migrant encounters in December 2023 alone. In addition, gunmen abducted more than 30 people near the U.S.-Mexico border last week, highlighting the unstable nature of the current situation.
