Defiant and backed by 25 governors, Abbott says Texas will continue its self-defense at the southern border

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott celebrated the efficacy of the Lone Star State's active self-defense Sunday, noting that it will not just continue but expand "until the Biden Administration decides to do its job and secure the border."

Abbott declared on Jan. 24 that his beleaguered state has the "constitutional authority to defend and protect itself" in the face of an unprecedented "invasion" by foreign nationals. Twenty-five American governors have signaled support for this self-defense, some of whom were in Texas over the weekend.

Flanked by 13 governors in person — Govs. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.), Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), Brad Little (R-Idaho), Eric Holcomb (R-Ind.), Kim Reynolds (R-Iowa), Jeff Landry (R-La.), Tate Reeves (R-Miss.), Mike Parson (R-Mo.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), Jim Pillen (R-Neb.), Chris Sununu (N.H.), Bill Lee (R-Tenn.), and Spencer Cox (R-Utah) — and backed by an additional 12 governors from afar, Abbott said Sunday, "Americans stand with Texas and our right to protect and defend our state from the crisis at our southern border."

The governors toured Shelby Park, the municipal park in Eagle Pass adjoining the Rio Grande where multitudes of illegal aliens have poured into the U.S. in recent months. Whereas the park was previously teeming with illegal aliens, the park now appears to be empty.

Abbott credited his state's material defensive efforts — particularly the razor wire and barriers criticized by the Biden White House — with reducing the average number of illegal entries into the area from 3,000-4,000 to a reported three migrants per day.

"If Arizona and California did what we're doing here, you would eliminate [illegal] immigration overnight," said Abbott.

Abbott further indicated that Texas would expand on its recent success in Eagle Pass and expand its efforts elsewhere along the border.

"As we speak right now, the Texas National Guard, they’re undertaking operations to expand this effort," said the Texas governor. "We're not going to contain ourselves to this park. We are expanding to further areas to make sure we expand our level of deterrence and denial of illegal entry into the United States."

A top Texas official said there is also interest in applying similar pressure to riverside ranch land north of the city where illegal aliens have historically made entry, reported the New York Times.

That expansion appears to include the construction of additional border wall.

Various governors lauded the Lone Star State's efforts Sunday. Some indicated they would commit additional resources to help Texas secure the border, as Florida did last week.

Gov. Lee, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, thanked Abbott for doing "everything within his power to provide an improvement to the situation at the border and to provide safety and security for Texans, for Americans."

"The federal government has failed Texans and Americans in providing that security and that safety," added Lee.

Gov. Kemp noted that "every state in our country is now a border state. ... When you think about the amount of fentanyl and human trafficking, they're coming to every state in the county."

"If our border is not secure, our country is not secure," continued Kemp. "Joe Biden's policies are making our country less safe, and that's what we're here documenting today."

"This is a fight that all of us have to engage in," said Gov. Huckabee Sanders.

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