25 Republican governors sign statement offering Abbott support
of barbed wire. | Photo courtesy of Newsweek
In what seems to be the latest bout between state governments and the federal government, 25 state governors signed a statement supporting Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his quest to defy a Supreme Court order that was issued on January 22. While the southern border is quite the distance from Wabash itself, plenty of Wabash men currently pursuing their undergraduate along with alumni are affected by this legal conflict.
Jared Araiza ’25, a native of Alamo, Texas, is no stranger to activity near our southern border.
“Immigration has always been present, especially after COVID,” said Araiza. “Reynosa, a border town in Mexico, used to be nice and clean. But after COVID, it was filled with tents and trash. This is seen in many other border towns as well.”
Illegal Immigration has been a political hot-topic for years now, with Republicans and Democrats taking on a binary view of the issue. Notably, the 25 governors who signed the statement supporting Abbott were all republicans, including Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, with no democrat governors opting to sign it. The only republican governor to not sign the statement was Vermont Governor Phil Scott.
While the statement came after the Supreme Court issued a ruling relating to Texas’s defenses on the border, it doesn’t necessarily ban Texas from utilizing resources to defend its border. The statement only gave the federal government the power to remove any obstructions that prevented federal agents from performing their tasks. However, it sparks a debate for what type of obstructions are okay for Texas to utilize when protecting its border.
“There have been floating barriers that have sharp blades in the Rio Grande,” said Araiza. “They have also put up barbed wire and electric fences.”
The use of these dangerous obstacles has been in question, as it implies that all individuals crossing Texas’ southern border are a danger to the state.
“I personally think that what Governor Abbott is doing is ridiculous,” said Tyler Wade ’12, who lives in Dallas, Texas. “Those of us who have actually spent a lot of time at the border know that it is just like most other parts of our country. Sure, there are criminal elements present, but most of the drugs come through legal ports of entry, not immigrant women and children seeking asylum.”
However, while Texas may be using methods that some deem to be inhumane to reinforce itself across the Rio Grande, some argue that the federal government is not free of blame.
“President Biden, like both President Trump and President Obama, shows very little knowledge of what is happening on the border,” said Wade. “Family separation started under President Obama, and while the Biden Administration has backed off, they are still building newer and nicer immigration detention centers. But even nicer cages are still cages.”
Some have called for Biden to focus more of his resources on the southern border, as it seems to be low in his list of priorities.
“I think immigration should have a higher priority,” said Araiza. “One of the missions of the United States is to provide asylum for other people to come and experience freedom.”
While both the ruling from the supreme court and the statement signed by 25 republican governors are both monumental, they speak to the larger issue of border policy that will likely continue to be used as a political tool for politicians alike.