The White House on Tuesday welcomed a Supreme Court ruling allowing border officials to cut razor wire installed by Texas officials at the southern border.
In a 5-4 decision, the justices lifted an injunction that prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting the wire installed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as part of his crackdown on immigration enforcement.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she was “glad” the Supreme Court made the controversial ruling and said border officials were now able to “do their jobs.”
The Biden administration is in a standoff with Texas over 30 miles of sharp concertina wire around Eagle Pass along the Rio Grande on the southern border.
Karine Jean-Pierre says she is “glad” that the Supreme Court has lifted the injunction that prevented border officials from cutting barbed wire at the border
In a 5-4 decision, the justices lifted an injunction that prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting the wire installed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott as part of his crackdown on immigration enforcement
Federal officials claim it threatens security and hinders rescue efforts, while the state claims it stops the flow of migrants.
Another migrant, an unidentified man, was found Monday near Eagle Pass in the shallow waters of the Rio Grande.
“Look, we're certainly glad that the Supreme Court lifted the injunction that prevented Border Patrol agents from actually doing their jobs, doing humanitarian work, and actually enforcing laws.” And it disrupted and what claims became that what Texas did, the governor did, was actually ineffective,” she said.
“And we have to remember that it was ineffective.” And now it allows border security to do its job, which allows border security to actually intervene when a problem or a dangerous situation arises. And they must act and save lives,” she added.
She spoke after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the government, without issuing a statement of reasons.
“Border patrollers needed access,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby said after being asked about the ruling and the surge of 300,000 migrants attempting to enter the country in December.
“And that's why we're committed to getting rid of that barbed wire so they can do their job, and you know what's going to help them do their job?” “More Border Patrol agents,” he said.
Kirby then advocated for a stalled supplemental spending bill that would increase border funding while sending billions in military aid to Ukraine and Israel.
“Here's an idea.” Let's go back to the additional applications we submitted: There's money in there for around 1,300 additional border guards. We want to help them get their work done. We want to provide them with more resources. And the answer we kept getting from House Republicans was, “No, no, no,” Kirby said.
The Biden administration is in a standoff with Texas over 30 miles of sharp concertina wire around Eagle Pass along the Rio Grande on the southern border.
“Is it working for the Border Patrol to give them the access they need to better process people trying to cross the border?” I don’t think so. And that's why we asked for it to be removed,” he said over the wire.
Kirby spoke about the “historic movement” of people across the hemisphere and said the Mexican government is “intervening” at the border.
A migrant family is picked up by a Texas Department of Public Safety employee after being stranded for hours on the riverbank in Eagle Pass, Texas
“We've seen some success in the last few weeks with the idea that we don't have a plan, we don't have a strategy, or we're not taking this seriously.” It's just not borne out by the facts. And again, if House Republicans are serious about border security and say they are serious, then they should act on the amendment. And you know, let's negotiate this in good faith.
“This case is ongoing and Governor Abbott will continue to fight to defend Texas’ property and its constitutional authority to secure the border,” Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said Monday after the ruling. He said the state will continue to fight to defend “Texas” property and its constitutional authority to secure the border.
Abbott has also installed floating barriers in the river and used buses to transport migrants to so-called “sanctuary cities” run by Democrats.
In a new Harvard-Harris poll released Monday, immigration edged out inflation as the issue most cited by Americans. Immigration was at 35 percent and inflation was at 32 percent.