Texas Democrats in Congress this week urged President Joe Biden to take control of the Texas National Guard in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R.) refusal to give up control of a section of the state’s southern border.
“Governor Greg Abbott is using the Texas National Guard to obstruct and create chaos at the border,” Rep. Joaquin Castro said Tuesday on X. “If Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard now.”
“I agree with @JoaquinCastrotx: if Abbott is defying yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard,” Rep. Greg Casar posted to X Wednesday afternoon.
Presidents have the authority under certain circumstances to federalize state National Guard troops, such as when President Dwight D. Eisenhower took control of the Arkansas National Guard to integrate a school in Little Rock. Such occurrences are rare, however.
Castro and Casar’s posts came in response to Abbott’s insistence that “Texas is not backing down” after the Supreme Court temporarily allowed the Biden administration to cut razor wire the state had erected. During the case’s litigation, the Texas National Guard seized control of a 2.5-mile stretch of the border that includes Eagle Pass, a highly trafficked crossing point.
