Gov. Greg Abbott Declares ‘Invasion’ at the Southern Border, Sends in National Guard

The tumultuous relationship between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and President Joe Biden took another turn on Thursday. As Abbott and Biden continue to lock horns over the border crisis, Texas and major cities across the country have borne the brunt of the influx of asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.

Now, the situation has reached a boiling point as Abbott declared the border crisis an “invasion” due to the ongoing surge of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers trying to gain entry into the U.S. The governor has sent National Guard troops to assist in stopping the tide of border crossings.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is sending Texas National Guard troops to the southern border to hold off what he declared in a letter to President Joe Biden to be an “invasion” of illegal migrants.
“I officially declared an invasion at our border because of Biden’s policies,” Abbott said in a post on the social media site X on Wednesday. “We deployed the Texas National Guard, Department of Public Safety, and local law enforcement. We are building a border wall, razor wire, and marine barriers. We are also repelling migrants.”
Abbott also accused federal border agents of cutting state installations of razor wire in Eagle Pass on Wednesday, allowing the illegal migrants access to the U.S. side of the border.

I officially declared an invasion at our border because of Biden's policies.

We deployed the Texas National Guard, DPS & local law enforcement.

We are building a border wall, razor wire & marine barriers.

We are also repelling migrants.

More: https://t.co/dEivr1lL2n pic.twitter.com/hzCl6ouTVJ

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 20, 2023

Eagle Pass, a border town in Texas, has been at the epicenter of the crisis. It has been flooded with a substantial uptick of individuals crossing the southern border. The situation has become so dire that Mayor Rolando Salinas Jr. was forced to issue an emergency declaration as the town struggles to accommodate the arrivals. Salinas has offered pointed criticism of the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. 

Back in March 2021, Abbott initiated Operation Lone Star to handle the influx of illegals and asylum seekers. He also began busing these individuals to Democrat-governed cities like Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles to distribute the burden more widely across the nation. It was a political move that succeeded in drawing more attention to the problem. This has resulted in at least some Democratic politicians criticizing the Biden administration for failing to take effective action to address the worsening situation at the southern border.

Most recently, Abbott made the controversial move of deploying floating barrier buoys on the Rio Grande River to deter illegal border crossing. This action has resulted in legal challenges. It has also met with criticism from those opposing Abbott’s approach to immigration.

According to reports, immigration lawyer Kate Lincoln Goldfinch, who has publicly made her dislike for Abbott known, disputes his claims of an “invasion.” She calls it “inaccurate” and “dangerous.” Goldfinch said Abbott is just using that verbiage to solidify his position in the legal fight to keep the border buoys. By calling the influx of immigrations an “invasion,” the U.S. Constitution could allow the state to enforce federal immigration laws.

The ongoing border crisis has encapsulated one of many problems with the United States immigration system – especially with President Biden in the White House. The administration has done little to curb the flow of illegals and asylum seekers showing up at the southern border.