The Supreme Court ruled that Border Patrol agents are allowed to remove razor wire at the U.S.-Mexico border on Monday, Jan. 22. That same day, Texas National Guard installed more razor wire, placing the majority of it at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas. Soldiers have taken over the park and refuse to allow federal agents’ entry.
The case over whether agents can or cannot remove razor wire is in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court will hear arguments next month on whether states or the federal government have jurisdiction over what happens at the border.
Until that litigation plays out, the Supreme Court ruled Border Patrol agents can remove the razor wire — for now.
The ruling is seen as a win for the Biden administration, however, Texas officials are not happy about it. The decision has escalated tense rhetoric over the border crisis, and many elected officials took to social media to voice their displeasure.
“My thoughts are that the feds are staging a civil war, and Texas should stand their ground” Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, R, posted on X.
“This opinion is unconscionable and Texas should ignore it,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted.
“The Texas National Guard continues to hold the line in Eagle Pass. Texas will not back down from our efforts to secure the border in Biden’s absence,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, posted on X.
The razor wire was installed to act as a deterrent to illegal border crossings. A reporter from the Epoch Times posted an example of its apparent effectiveness, showing a man from Guatemala at the border asking to go to Atlanta to work.
According to the reporter, the man wasn’t able to find a way to get around the razor wire and gave up, choosing to head upstream to find a different place to cross.