Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that the state of Texas will build its own barrier wall at the US-Mexico border, specifically in areas near the Rio Grande.
Why is Texas building a border wall?
Per NBC News, Abbott blamed the Biden administration for an increase in migrants crossing the border. He said more needs to be done to stop so much immigration.
- “The influx across the border is out of control, and the Biden administration has shown that is not going to step up and do its job,” Abbott told Breitbart Texas.
Can Texas build a border wall?
There are questions about whether Texas has the power to build a barrier.
- “It is unclear if the state has the authority to build a wall in an attempt to deter immigrants, a majority of whom have been fleeing poverty and violence from Central America,” The New York Times reported.
Abbott even said it is the federal government’s job to protect the border. However, he added: “Texas will not sit idly by as this crisis grows.”
- “The state is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally,” Abbott said. “Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs, and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve.”
What’s next for the Texas border wall?
Abbott did not share many specifics about the project, according to The New York Times. Abbott said more details would come in the next few weeks.
- The Texas governor said the state “would start by setting up barriers to identify people trying to cross the border and by deploying additional law enforcement agents to assist the Border Patrol,” according to The New York Times.