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By Rachel Dobkin
Weekend Reporter
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A total of 25 Republican governors backed Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "right to self-defense" in a joint statement issued on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Abbott issued a statement accusing President Joe Biden of violating "his oath to faithfully execute immigration laws enacted by Congress." Abbott has been fighting with the Justice Department over his migrant deterrent tactics as he tries to secure the U.S.-Mexico border from illegal crossings.
The joint statement by Abbott's fellow Republican governors read: "We stand in solidarity with our fellow Governor, Greg Abbott, and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy, including razor wire fences, to secure the border.
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"We do it in part because the Biden Administration is refusing to enforce immigration laws already on the books and is illegally allowing mass parole across America of migrants who entered our country illegally."
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The statement was issued by the following governors:
- Governor Kay Ivey, Alabama
- Governor Mike Dunleavy, Alaska
- Governor Sarah Sanders, Arkansas
- Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida
- Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia
- Governor Brad Little, Idaho
- Governor Eric Holcomb, Indiana
- Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa
- Governor Jeff Landry, Louisiana
- Governor Tate Reeves, Mississippi
- Governor Mike Parson, Missouri
- Governor Greg Gianforte, Montana
- Governor Jim Pillen, Nebraska
- Governor Joe Lombardo, Nevada
- Governor Chris Sununu, New Hampshire
- Governor Doug Burgum, North Dakota
- Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio
- Governor Kevin Stitt, Oklahoma
- Governor Henry McMaster, South Carolina
- Governor Kristi Noem, South Dakota
- Governor Bill Lee, Tennessee
- Governor Spencer Cox, Utah
- Governor Glenn Youngkin, Virginia
- Governor Jim Justice, West Virginia
- Governor Mark Gordon, Wyoming
In Abbott's statement, he said the Biden administration's failure to "protect each [State] against invasion," as stated in Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, "has triggered Article I, § 10, Clause 3, "which reserves to this State the right of self-defense.
"For these reasons, I have already declared an invasion under Article I, § 10, Clause 3 to invoke Texas's constitutional authority to defend and protect itself. That authority is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary."
Abbott said that the "Texas National Guard, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and other Texas personnel are acting on that authority, as well as state law, to secure the Texas border."
The GOP governors stood by Abbott's claim to self-defense, writing in the joint statement on Thursday: "Because the Biden Administration has abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states, Texas has every legal justification to protect the sovereignty of our states and our nation."
Meanwhile, the White House has called Abbott's deterrent tactics, like using razor wire to block off parts of the southern border, "political stunts" that are "cruel" and "inhumane."
Newsweek reached out to Abbott's office and the White House via email for comment.
Update 1/25/24, 4:53 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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