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- BBC News World
8 julio 2022
image source, Getty Images
The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, authorized state authorities on Thursday to return to the border ports of entry with Mexico the migrants they detain, which generates a possible confrontation with the federal government, in charge of managing immigration policy. from the United States.
The Republican gave these powers to the National Guard and the Department of Public Safety (DPS), both state entitiesthrough an executive order.
The measure has been criticized by the Mexican government.
Abbott said 5,000 people who crossed illegally into the US were apprehended over the weekend, creating “a border crisis that overwhelms communities along the line.”
There are no figures for June yet, but in May the crossing record illegal registered. The Border Patrol captured 177,000 people, 15% more than in April. And more than 60,000 people made more than one attempt this month to enter the US.
Announcing the measure this Thursday, Abbott argued that it aims to “stop the criminal enterprise that endangers” those who live in border towns.
Called to declare the “invasion”
The initiative responds to call made by several counties of the state —Kinney, Uvalde, Goliad, Burnet and Medina— to legally declare the “invasion” before the arrival of immigrants. Local authorities requested deportation, despite the fact that it is something that only corresponds to the federal government.
The “invasion” declaration is part of a movement that argues that the US Constitution gives states a legal basis to invoke war powers.
The idea has been widely criticized by immigrant advocates and legal experts, who have warned that the speech is part of the political campaign of the Republican governor, who is seeking re-election in November.
image source, Getty Images
Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Eagle Pass on May 23, 2022.
With his executive order, Abbott is testing the limits of state authority in the matter. And that is what the government of Mexico in his rejection statement issued this Thursday.
“In the U.S Immigration law enforcement is the exclusive power of the federal government, which is why our dialogue on this matter takes place at that level. Therefore, this action can only be understood as part of the electoral campaigns in the state of Texas.”
Jeremy McKinney, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), has also used a similar argument in condemning Abbott’s move. “The governor’s political ploy is morally reprehensible and unquestionably illegal,” he said.
And he added that the US Constitution makes it clear that immigration enforcement is a federal authority and that state governors cannot set their own policies.
“The Biden Administration must respond quickly with litigation and remind Governor Abbott that the Constitution clearly states how our democratic republic is supposed to function,” the attorney insisted.
image source, Getty Images
Since President Joe Biden came to power in January 2021, Abbott has waged a fight against the Democratic federal government, accusing it of promoting an “open borders” policy..
“As the challenges at the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take steps to address the challenges caused by the Biden Administration,” he also insisted on Thursday.
Likewise, the executive order comes a few days after the Supreme Court gave Biden a break, allowing him to end the program established by his predecessor, Donald Trump, known as Stay in Mexico.
The Migrant Protection Protocols obliged asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for the resolution of their case. And the requirement had sparked diplomatic tensions between Washington and Mexico, which opposed the move.
This will be one of the issues addressed in the visit of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to the White House, scheduled for July 12.
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