Abbott's border policies are improving the situation but could be pointless

Governor Greg Abbott’s border measures are showing signs of a sharp decline in illegal migrants, but the expert warned that if other states are not following his lead, the efforts are pointless.

Moving to other borders

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“When you make it more difficult in Texas, the flow is naturally going to move to the western states with Democratic governors who are less committed to border enforcement,” told Newsweek GOP strategist Jason Cabel Roe. Roe added that Texas proved “enforcing the border works.”

It is about the message

Roe pointed out that the Biden administration sent people an “invitation” by signaling that a “Trump-style” day of border policies is over. So, “people from distressed nations the world over accepted the invitation.” According to official records, the Southern border encounters dropped almost 42 percent from December 2023 to January 2024.

But is it all about Abbott’s actions?

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Thomas Gift, head of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, talked to Newsweek and explained that the situation is complex. Gift said, “It’s not unreasonable to think that Governor Abbott’s border controls are having an effect on reducing illegal border crossings.” Still, the decline in numbers is influenced by many factors.

January vs. December

Mark Shanahan, an expert in American politics, looked at the numbers and told Newsweek that migrants are looking for other border crossings. He made a distinction between “organized gangs and migrants,” adding that both groups likely moved to looser points, “mostly in California and Arizona.”

Everyone knows about Abbott’s policies

Shanahan added that migrants have “excellent intelligence on where’s supposedly easiest to cross,” so it is no surprise they moved from Texas to other, safer crossings.

Governors are helping Abbott

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Governor Chris Sununu of New Hampshire is ready to send New Hampshire National Guard soldiers to Eagle Pass, Texas’s critical border crossing point. Sununu is asking lawmakers to secure $850,000 to send 15 soldiers.

Lake also praised Abbott

Kari Lake, an Arizona Republican who is running for the Senate, stated she wished Abbott moved faster because “we’ve had three years of egregious abuse of the American people, we’ve had three years of an invasion, and we have 10 or 12 million people here illegally. But better late than never.”

Abbott’s efforts are affecting Arizona

Arizona Side Of "The Wall" Between Mexico And The United States — Image by Depositphotos.com

Lake noted that Abbott’s methods to secure the Texas border are working, but Arizona is seeing “an influx of people pouring” across the border. Governor Hobbs, a Democrat, signed an executive order in December, saying, “I am taking action where the federal government won’t… Despite continued requests for assistance, the Biden administration has refused to deliver desperately needed resources to Arizona’s border.”

Another legal blow for Abbott

In his fight with the Biden administration, Abbott suffered a legal setback after seven Republican judges sided with Democrats and denied Abbott’s plea with the Fifth Circuit to “stay trial proceedings.”

Increasing razor wire

Governor Abbott confirmed on February 12, despite legal losses, “More National Guard & razor wire barriers are coming to the Texas border.” The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration and ordered the razor wire to be removed.

“Re-doubling our efforts”

Writing on X, Abbott added, “We’re re-doubling our efforts to expand the areas where we are denying illegal entry into Texas. Illegal immigration is now going down in Texas while increasing in [California] & [Arizona].”

Defying SCOTUS

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Texas authorities continued claiming they had the authority to use the razor wire because the federal government failed and did not address an “invasion adequately” at the southern border. Meanwhile, the bipartisan border deal that would help with all borders was killed by the Senate Republicans.

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