President Joe Biden is facing pressure from Democrats to take control of the Texas National Guard as Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) continues to defy the Biden administration’s open-border policies.
Democrat Texas Reps. Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar issued statements on Tuesday and Wednesday urging Biden to “establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard” after Abbott announced, “The Texas National Guard continues to hold the line in Eagle Pass. Texas will not back down from our efforts to secure the border in Biden’s absence.”
The Texas governor’s statement came after the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling on Monday allowing the Biden administration to remove the razor-wire fences Texas has used to secure the southern border. Abbott also noted on social media that the state would continue to secure the border by deploying “razor wire to repel illegal immigration,” which he said was an effective deterrent against illegal immigration.
Pressuring Biden to take action, Castro tweeted, “Governor Greg Abbott is using the Texas National Guard to obstruct and create chaos at the border. If Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard now.”
Casar also released a statement on social media, pointing out that he agreed with Castro and claiming that the Texas governor is engaging in”political stunts and inflammatory language.” The Texas congressman also accused Abbott of “violating the Constitution.”
READ MORE: Pic: Gov. Abbott slams Biden as ‘lawless’ over border, says Texas can defend itself
Casar added, “If Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard.”
In addition to the two Democrat Texas lawmakers, Beto O’Rourke, a former gubernatorial candidate, criticized Abbot for “using the Texas Guard to defy a Supreme Court ruling.”
He added, “When Gov. Faubus did this in 1957, Eisenhower federalized the Arkansas Guard to ensure compliance with the law. Biden must follow this example of bold, decisive leadership to end this crisis before it gets worse.”
Newsweek reported that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the calls for Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard during a Thursday morning interview.
“We want to make sure we get something done at the border,” she said. “That’s why we have been having these conversations with Senate Republicans and Democrats for the past several weeks to come up with a bipartisan agreement to deal with the border.”
While Jean-Pierre said she would not discuss potential actions that Biden might take regarding the situation in Texas, she said, “We have been very clear about it.”
