The Supreme Court is allowing US Border Patrol agents to remove razor wire deployed by Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott’s security initiative at the US-Mexico border while the state’s legal challenge to the practice plays out.

The vote was 5-4.

The justices’ order is a major victory for President Joe Biden in his ongoing dispute with Abbott over border policy, which had become especially fraught in recent days after three migrants drowned in a section of the Rio Grande that state officials have blocked agents’ access to, prompting the administration to further press for the high court’s intervention.

A federal appeals court last month ordered the Border Patrol agents to stop removing razor wire along a small stretch of the Rio Grande while court proceedings continue, and the Justice Department asked the justices earlier this month to step in on an emergency basis to wipe away that order, which they did on Monday.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh said they would have denied the federal request.

  • SoylentBlake
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    5 months ago

    I don’t agree with Abbotts position here. Border Patrol has the legal responsibility to patrol the national border - and unfortunately, they’ve extended that range to 200 miles inland, which is fucking bonkers.

    I am sympathetic to Texans wanting to things done their way, as it’s their state but it’s a national border. If Texas wanted to patrol their border with Oklahoma, I would consider that their prerogative, just as I think it’s Cali’s prerogative to do so with Az.

    Im sus of Paxton or Abbott actually wanting to solve any issues here tho. This feels like more grandstanding and politicking, throwing fodder to the media controversy machine. If Texans were set on securing the border to the manner they see fit, why don’t they fall back, idk fifty fucking feet and defend that line?

    Seems like that would allow BP to do what they need to do, and if there’s just a “second wall” behind, that would allow Texas to do what it wants to do. Fucking Constantinople had 3 sets of walls that stood unpenetrable for 1000 years, its not like multiple walls is historically unheard of.

    But, I’m not convinced Republicans want a solution towards immigration. I think they just want the theatrics so they can point at something when you ask why nothing’s getting done (a placation I traditionally ascribe to democrats; for example DC renaming a street BLM Boulevard instead of addressing any of the raised issues)