Gov. Greg Abbott in the past has boasted about Texas' economy by comparing it to Russia and suggested that it made him "more powerful" than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Well, now he appears to want to give some of that power back to Putin. Abbott appears intent on inciting a conflict between Border Patrol and the state’s National Guard, which people feel is inching closer and closer toward a violent clash between armed agents of state and federal law enforcement. The governor, as commander in chief of the Texas Guard, has directed his soldiers to block Border Patrol’s access to migrants, physically preventing federal officers from performing the duties assigned to them by Congress and the president.
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote, granted the Biden administration's request to vacate the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals' injunction in a case involving razor wire placed along Texas' border with Mexico. The move paves the way for federal officials to remove the wire. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented, in what should have been a 9-0 vote. It has been long established, (the Supreme Court ruled on this issue in 1893 in Fong Yue Ting v. United States, 149 U.S. 698 (1893)) and determined that:
the right to exclude or to expel aliens, or any class of aliens, absolutely or upon certain conditions, in war or in peace, is an inherent and inalienable right of every sovereign nation. In the United States, the power to exclude or to expel aliens is vested in the political departments of the National Government, and is to be regulated by treaty or by act of Congress, and to be executed by the executive authority according to the regulations so established, except so far as the Judicial Department is authorized by treaty or by statute, or is required by the Constitution, to intervene. The power of Congress to expel, like the power to exclude, aliens, or any specified class of aliens, from the country, may be exercised entirely through executive officers; or Congress may call in the aid of the Judiciary to ascertain any contested facts on which an alien's right to remain in the country has been made by Congress to depend.
Thus, Texas has no right to take actions regarding Immigration. Despite this, radical Republicans are claiming that Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution gives them the right to act. That Section states:
Section 4
The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.
In fact, to the extent Texas law conflicts with Federal law, the US Constitution in Article 5, indicates the Federal law controls. Specifically:
Article VI
— — — — —
This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
So then, we must examine why Abbott has taken his present position and how does that Texas’ rebellion against the Federal Government give Putin power?
First, it has been made clear by the GOP that they DO NOT want any resolution to the ‘immigration crisis’. This is because Trump and the GOP don’t want to give Joe Biden a ‘win’ on immigration during an election year. Joan McCarter, for Daily Kos, has written an excellent article “McConnell considers killing major immigration deal to help Trump” which explains what is happening within the legislature regarding the current deal on immigration, which was forced by the GOP by tying any Ukraine funding to a border deal. Now, despite getting concessions on every major item they were seeking, it appears that the Senate GOP is poised to sink their own deal, in support of Trump’s presidential desires.
Second, there is another worthwhile article here on Daily Kos, written by @KyivGuy which sets forth at length that while Putin knows he can’t beat NATO in a direct conflict, he can beat NATO countries by causing internal conflict and divisions. That certainly appears to be happening here in the US as the GOP, whether through self-interest (party over country), stupidity, or Kompromat (there is loads of Russian money flowing through the GOP whether directly (Trump) i.e. ‘all our funding comes from Russia’ — Eric Trump, or indirectly through the NRA, or other 3rd party sources), seems to want to tear apart the very fabric of the United States. In fact, it is no longer just fringe nihilists that are itching for a civil war, it is elected GOP officials.
To be clear, a ruling has been made by the United States Supreme Court. A ruling, which Texas doesn’t like. Because of that Texas has decided to ignore and violate that ruling and the GOP is actually egging them on to do so! This is VERY bad for Democracy and the United States; but, Putin has announced “Пожалуйста, принесите мне попкорн” (“Please bring me some popcorn”)