Tennessee Attorney General Joins Letter Supporting Texas’ Border Defense Barriers

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 26 other attorneys general in sending a letter to the Biden administration proclaiming support for the steps Texas has taken at its border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigrant crossings.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the Biden administration to allow Border Patrol agents to cut through or move razor wire Texas installed on its border with Mexico to prevent illegal entries into the U.S.

Today, @AGTennessee Jonathan Skrmetti joined 26 other states in a letter to the Biden Administration supporting Texas’ border defense.

➡️https://t.co/pJ1wn3rUIc pic.twitter.com/GaCepMpAPA

— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) January 29, 2024

Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said his state will continue to carry out its “constitutional authority to defend and protect itself.”

In response, the coalition of 27 attorneys general sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday in defense of Texas’ efforts at its border with Mexico, saying, “We are a nation of laws. And without a border, we would quickly cease to be a nation at all.”

“Texas’s efforts to support the border do not violate the recent Supreme Court order in Department of Homeland Security v. Texas. Further, States have an independent duty to defend against invasion. Finally, the crisis at the border requires the Executive Branch to enforce the law,” the coalition said.

The coalition argued that the Biden administration needs to “enforce the law and protect the border.”

“If you cannot bring yourselves to enforce the law, get out of the way so Texas can,” the attorneys general said.

Skrmetti added that securing the border “isn’t a political or ideological issue, it’s a matter of basic governmental competence.”

“The record-breaking number of illegal entries has strained resources in states and cities across the country, even those far removed from the border,” Skrmetti said. “Texas is fulfilling its duty to enforce the law and protect its citizens given the federal abdication of serious border enforcement. America would be better off if the federal government worked toward collaboration rather than confrontation with the states that are working to solve the problem.”

Skrmetti noted that Texas’ barriers not only protect the Lone Star state from millions of illegal border crossings but “the rest of the nation.”

Tennessee’s representation on Monday’s letter to Biden and Mayorkas comes days after Governor Bill Lee joined 24 other Republican governors in issuing a joint statement proclaiming support for Texas’ border security efforts.

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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.