Greg shakes hands with members of the Texas National Guard as they prepare to deploy to the border (Associated Press)
The Russian newspaper "Izvestia" said that the immigration crisis on the border of the US state of Texas with Mexico has become another spark that ignited American society, and so far none of the opposing parties has tried to reach a compromise.
The newspaper indicated in a report by writer Andrei Kozmak that the current seriousness of the matter stems from the fact that the Americans carry weapons, which means that the situation could proceed according to any scenario.
The crisis currently boils down to the fact that Texas Governor Greg Abbott has refused to implement a decision from the country's Supreme Court ordering the state to allow federal authorities to manage the border, because that is a federal prerogative, not individual states.
Abbott said he would defend the state against the "invasion" of illegal immigrants by using his state's National Guard.
America faces a new, extremely dangerous precedent
The writer commented that this means that in the election year, America faces a new, extremely dangerous precedent, represented by a direct confrontation between a single state and the federal government.
Abbott had refused to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision, citing the White House’s failure to fulfill its obligations towards the states stipulated in the US Constitution, by ensuring the protection of each state from invasion by the federal government, describing the crossing of 225,000 illegal immigrants across the border during last December alone. It is an "invasion" and, as a result, accuses Washington of failing to fulfill a crucial commitment.
“The Texas National Guard, the state Department of Public Safety and other Texas agencies are acting under these authorities, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border,” Abbott said.
The writer explained that Texas not only opposed the policies of President Joe Biden's administration, and refused to comply with the Supreme Court's decision to remove barriers and allow federal Border Patrol agents to access the "detained" part of the border only, but its National Guard installed a second line of barbed wire along the border.
The American and Texas flags are raised on the dome of the Texas State Capitol in Austin (Shutterstock)
Support from other states
The writer stated that the immigration problem hits Texas more than others, so Abbott's case quickly gained support from many Republican states.
The Florida governor sent National Guard units to help Texas residents, and Oklahoma police conducted a 5-day raid with their colleagues from the Lone Star State, as Texas is traditionally known, resulting in the deaths of 94 people, as they were arrested for violating immigration laws.
A number of members of Congress supported Abbott's actions, and affirmed Texas' right to self-defense in the face of the federal government's inaction.
According to the writer, Washington’s reaction was harsh, as Jonathan Mayer, the chief lawyer for the Department of Homeland Security, warned in a letter to the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton that if the administration’s demands were not heard, the case would be referred to the Department of Justice, and “it would be added.” Other options." The White House gave Texas 24 hours to make a decision, and Paxton responded that Texas did not intend to meet any deadlines.
Legal controversy over the National Guard
In turn, John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the US National Security Council, said that the president has the authority to transfer the Texas National Guard to his subordinate, and some members of the Democratic Party have called for this. In this case, the legal status of the National Guard is of paramount importance.
The writer quoted Russian expert Dmitry Suslov, Deputy Director of the Center for Comprehensive Studies at the Higher School of Economics at the National Research University in Moscow, as saying that the conflict over the use of the National Guard could end in a constitutional crisis, indicating that everything that is happening now is part of the electoral conflict, and it is clear The attempt to "federalize" the National Guard will escalate.
As events developed rapidly, the problem of relations between the “region” and the “center” immediately reached the national level, as former US President Donald Trump and Robert Kennedy Jr. expressed their support for Abbott’s actions.
Trump called on citizens to unite, and Republican state governors to send additional National Guard units to the south of the country. Elon Musk, who lives in Austin, the capital of Texas, also spoke, saying, “Texas is absolutely right. This administration is deliberately violating the law by enabling illegal immigration on an unprecedented scale.”
Texas National Guard troops unite, on orders from Gregg, Supreme Court ruling (French)
Big split
As a result, the number of states supporting Texas increased to 25 states (the total number of US states is 50 states). Thus, the problem of illegal immigration was linked to what may be the major and still unresolved dispute over the division of power between the country's federal government and its component states.
The writer pointed out that over the past few years, many studies have been conducted to estimate the number of illegal immigrants in the United States. Democrats cite figures ranging from 9 to 12 million people, while Republican estimates reach 22 million.
In the Republican mainstream, the theory of “demographic replacement” is gaining increasing popularity, as they accuse Democrats of deliberately opening the borders to immigrants in order to outperform the electorate in red states (the color of the Republican Party).
The writer said that there is no documented evidence of this, but there are facts that indirectly prove that the representatives of the Republican Party are right. Back in 2019 (during the Trump era), the monthly birth rate in the United States was 6.5 times higher than the number of incoming immigrants.
Kozmak: If Biden surrenders on the immigration issue, his defeat will be even more painful than the loss of Ukraine (Reuters)
Linking the migration crisis to many other issues
By March 2021 (under President Joe Biden), the migration flow had doubled, and by July 2023, the number of people crossing the border exceeded the monthly birth rate, which is why Republicans linked reaching a settlement on almost any of the issues discussed in Congress. , whether budget or support for Ukraine, with the migration problem.
The writer considered that the move taken by Texas was not a coincidence, even though it had been expected for a long time, but it took place in the first month of the election year, as the first “seizure” of part of the border between the United States and Mexico occurred by the Texas authorities in In May of last year, the governors of 24 states sharply criticized Washington's immigration policies. Last December, American media wrote about approaching a “boiling point.”
Public opinion polls show that the immigration issue ranks first on the list of American voters' priorities, ahead of economic difficulties. This is the most effective pressure tool that Republicans have on the administration.
Criticism against Biden from within his party
Now Republicans are demanding a return to Trump-era immigration laws, which is completely unacceptable for Biden, who has already been criticized by many members of his party for his support for Israel, and if he gives in on the immigration issue, his defeat will be even more painful than losing Ukraine.
The report indicated that various studies show that, after the beginning of the immigration crisis, the number of supporters of leaving the United States began to grow rapidly - not only in Texas alone, but also in neighboring Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Another connection to what is happening is the specter of the American Civil War of 1861-1865, and the causes of social division very similar to the status quo: Republicans and Democrats today profess radically different ideological, economic and political views.
Source: Izvestia