"Texas has taken control of Shelby Park and refused to allow federal officials to enter." The recent confrontation between Texas and federal law enforcement forces in the United States has further exposed and intensified the long-buried issues of border security and illegal immigration in the United States. At present, this incident has become a focus of debate in the American political arena, and the confrontation between the Democratic and Republican parties on the immigration issue continues to intensify. As former U.S. President Trump publicly "sides" in supporting Texas against the Biden administration, it also indicates that this issue will become a key issue affecting the 2024 U.S. election. Some analysts say that if the immigration crisis and congressional partisanship continue to intertwine and ferment, American society will be further torn apart.
The "war" between Biden and Abbott may trigger a constitutional crisis
The problem of illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border has been around for a long time, and the southern border states represented by Texas have always been the "hardest hit area" of the immigration problem. In May 2023, a public health policy called "Title 42" expired, and the U.S. government no longer authorized law enforcement officers to quickly deport cross-border immigrants on the grounds of containing the new coronavirus epidemic. Although the Biden administration quickly added new regulations on border immigration management, it verbally promised to "relax immigration policies", giving hope to a large number of illegal immigrants and putting the southern border states, which are the "eye of the storm" for illegal immigration, into unprecedented difficulties.
According to US media reports, in the three years since Biden took office, the U.S. Border Patrol has had more than 6.3 million "encounters" with illegal border crossers, of which nearly 4 million occurred at the Texas border. In 2023, a total of 3.2 million illegal immigrants will flow into the United States, of which 2.5 million will flow through Texas. In this regard, Texas Governor Abbott has repeatedly accused Biden of "deliberate inaction" and taking "self-defense" actions.
On January 12 this year, the Texas government strengthened border security on the grounds of protecting the public and sent the National Guard to occupy and control Shelby Park, an important passage for illegal immigrants to enter the United States. At the same time, barbed wire and other barriers were erected in the park. That night, three immigrants, including a woman and two children, drowned in the Rio Grande near the park. This incident has aroused great public concern in the United States. Subsequently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security called such law enforcement actions in Texas illegal and asked Texas to "cease" its activities to protect the park. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has rejected a request from the Department of Homeland Security to lay out a list of federal agencies that would be required to release information related to their alleged powers.
On January 22, the U.S. Supreme Court approved a request by the Biden administration to allow the U.S. federal law enforcement agency Border Patrol to dismantle part of the razor wire used to prevent illegal immigration at the Texas border by a vote of 5 in favor and 4 against. fence. The U.S. Department of Justice said the chain-link fence installed in Texas hindered the work of the Border Patrol and prevented them from entering the border in an emergency.
Abbott refused to implement this decision and continued to mobilize the local National Guard to build and strengthen barbed wire fences, even engaging in armed standoffs with federal law enforcement officers. At the same time, Abbott issued a statement stating that Texas’ right to self-defense “is the supreme law of the country, transcending any contrary federal regulations.” The federal government has broken the contract between the United States and the states, and the Biden administration has also failed to fulfill the U.S. Constitutional duties.
Since 2021, Texas has often bypassed the federal government and used various local resources to combat illegal immigration, including enacting state laws to restrict immigration, building border walls, and transferring cross-border immigrants to major cities such as New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC. This also triggered the debate between "state rights" and "federal rights." White House press secretary Jean-Pierre blasted Abbott for "politicizing" the border issue, accusing his actions of making it "more difficult for federal border law enforcement to do their job."
CNN commented that the Texas governor’s interference in federal power has reached a level not seen since the abolition of apartheid in the 1950s. The New York Post also bluntly stated: "The war between US President Biden and Texas Governor Abbott may trigger a constitutional crisis."
Party strife in the United States intensifies social divisions
Abbott quickly gained support from Republicans by publicly criticizing Biden over immigration at the border.
On January 25, 25 Republican governors issued a joint letter in support of Texas and Governor Abbott. On January 27, former U.S. President Trump publicly stated at a campaign rally that he greatly appreciated Texas's resistance to the Biden administration. The conflict between Texas and the federal government quickly expanded into a battle between the two parties in the United States. Republicans have slammed the Biden administration as the "primary culprit" for exacerbating immigration problems, blaming its immigration policies for causing a large number of illegal immigrants to flow into the United States from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said bluntly: "The situation on the southern border is out of control, and this is all thanks to Biden and his incompetent government. What's worse is that they are trying to punish states like Texas for taking self-defense measures. ." Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene even issued a document calling for a "national divorce" between "red states" controlled by Republicans and "blue states" controlled by Democrats.
At the same time, on January 28, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives announced two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, accusing him of "deliberate and systematic refusal to comply with the law" and breach of public trust. Congressional Republicans have also previously linked immigration reform to the Biden administration's aid to Ukraine to force Democrats to compromise.
The confrontation between the two parties in Congress on the immigration issue has further intensified social conflicts in the United States. In an interview, Newsweek directly asked Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick "whether it will turn into a 'civil war.'" The New York Post and other media reported that a protest called "Take Back the Border" will be held at the US border on February 3, with 700,000 people expected to participate. Protesters will organize caravans to the Texas border towns of Quemado and Eagle Pass to stop illegal immigrants from entering the United States.
In response, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) warned that protesters may act violently against immigrant communities and their minority groups, "and we know that many of them are armed."
Immigration will become key issue in election
"As illegal immigration quickly becomes voters' top concern, Biden is increasingly eager to find solutions. Trump and conservative Republicans are using the issue to squeeze Biden and the Democratic Party's political opportunities." US Digital News Website commented.
On January 26, under pressure from the public and the Republican Party, Biden agreed to support more stringent border measures on border issues, and also called on the Republican Party to reach an agreement with the Democratic Party as soon as possible. CBS reported that the agreement will give the president the power to suspend asylum processing during a surge in illegal border crossings, and will speed up the deportation of immigrants and shorten the waiting time for asylum case decisions. Trump has repeatedly expressed his opposition to this, saying, "When I become president, I will not try to issue a restraining order to Texas, but will send reinforcements to them."
ABC commented that border security was the core content of Trump's 2016 election victory, and he is now repeating these messages and promising to make border militarization the core of his campaign. While some of Trump's extreme remarks have offended voters, Biden's poor performance on immigration has also cast a shadow over his re-election campaign. Polls show immigration is a major political weakness for Biden. His approval rating on this issue is only 18%. This is the lowest approval rating the president has received since ABC and the Washington Post began relevant surveys in 2004.
Louis DeScipio, a professor of political science at the University of California, Irvine, analyzed that Biden’s change in immigration policy can indeed attract moderates and independents among voters, but it risks alienating voters within the Democratic Party. “This is my first priority. This is the first time I have seen such a big division within the Democratic Party on immigration. Biden is walking a tightrope on immigration."
China Youth Daily·China Youth Daily trainee reporter Pei Sitong reporter Chen Xiaoru Source: China Youth Daily