“While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border,” he said. Abbott in a press release on Thursday, announcing the zero tolerance policy. Only the federal government is legally empowered to enforce immigration law. As a legal justification, Abbott cites Article IV, § 4 of the US Constitution. “”[T]the United States … will protect each [State in this Union] against the invasion,” and thereby compelled the State of Texas to build a border wall, deploy state military forces, and enter into agreements as described in Article I, § 10 of the U.S. Constitution for the security of the State of Texas and the deterrence of illegal immigration that funds the cartels’. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is ordering his state’s National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images A member of the National Guard patrols the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 23, 2022. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Abbott’s office did not respond to The Post’s request for comment on whether he is bowing to pressure from former Trump official Ken Cuccinelli to declare an “invasion” at the border. While Abbott did not issue a declaration of invasion, he used the exact language Cuccinelli used to coach several Texas counties to declare a border “invasion” on Tuesday. Cuccinelli wanted Abbott to declare an invasion and institute a Title 42-style program where immigrants would be “voided at the border” and automatically turned away. Abbott blamed President Biden for failing to stop thousands of undocumented immigrants from crossing the US border. SERGIO FLORES/AFP via Getty Images The move comes as Abbott’s poll numbers plunge after a school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and two teachers dead, and his support for a Texas abortion ban, according to a new poll of Texas voters. Abbott’s Democratic challenger, Beto O’Rourke, is gaining support and is now six points behind the governor.
