Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has firmly rejected demands from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding border security. In a letter, Paxton stated that Texas will continue its efforts to secure the border and outlined a series of counter-demands. He called on the federal agency to release certain documents and provide precise information related to their alleged authority.
The dispute between Texas and DHS began on January 11 when the Texas Military Department secured Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, as part of ongoing measures to protect the public and reinforce border security. However, DHS claimed that these law enforcement actions were unlawful and demanded that Texas cease its activities in securing the park. Attorney General Paxton responded on January 17, refuting DHS’s claims and highlighting the agency’s misrepresentation of facts and laws.
In a subsequent letter, DHS demanded that Texas remove all obstructions on the property, open the border to illegal aliens, and surrender Shelby Park. Attorney General Paxton has now denied these unfounded requests from the Biden Administration and issued his own counter-demands.
By February 15, Paxton expects DHS to provide official plat maps and deeds that demonstrate their ownership claims over specific parcels of land. He also requested an explanation of how Texas is preventing access to those parcels, documentation showing that Eagle Pass or Texas authorized DHS to erect infrastructure that interferes with border security, and proof that Congress empowered DHS to establish an unauthorized and illegal port of entry in a Texas park. Paxton emphasized that if the federal government is going to make such claims, it must provide evidence to support them.
In response to DHS’s latest letter, Attorney General Paxton criticized the lack of a meaningful response and highlighted the agency’s abandonment of earlier factual assertions. He suggested that instead of suing Texas, DHS should focus on enforcing existing immigration laws passed by Congress. Paxton reaffirmed his commitment to defending Texas’s efforts to protect its southern border, stating that his office will continue to uphold the state’s constitutional right of self-defense.
This ongoing dispute between Texas and DHS highlights the contentious issue of border security in the United States. While Texas is determined to strengthen its border defenses, the Biden Administration has taken a different stance, leading to a clash between state and federal authorities. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how both parties will navigate this complex and politically charged issue.