Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, announced Saturday that his state has started building its own “wall” of massive steel bars on the border with Mexico, accusing President Joe Biden of not doing enough to deter illegal immigration.
“Texas is taking what is really an unprecedented step by any state in the country,” Abbott said, telling a news conference about construction of “a wall on our border to secure and safeguard the sovereignty of the United States and our own state.”
Such a wall “is needed for one single reason, and that’s because the Biden administration has failed to do its job,” he added.
Biden’s border policies have “deadly implications,” according to the governor, who is rumored to have his own White House ambitions.
“This border wall that you see behind us is a replication of the border wall that President Trump put up, same material, same concept,” he added.
Though much of the 452 miles (727 kilometers) he managed to build over his four-year term was replacing existing barriers, Trump made the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border a centerpiece of his administration.
When Biden took office in January of this year, the work was put on hold.
The Democratic president has been chastised for his handling of illegal immigration, with some on the left criticizing the severe rules that remain in place and some on the right urging even harsher measures.
Earlier this month it was announced that the Biden administration will return the land of a Texas family that was confiscated earlier this year for the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
The Cavazos family has been fighting the federal government for their land in South Texas, which was passed down to them before the Rio Grande River became an international border.
On Tuesday, the Texas Civil Rights Project, which represents the family, tweeted that its client Eloisa Cavazos had her land returned “after fighting against the government’s seizure and border wall construction since 2018.”
The Biden administration will return the land of a Texas family after the property was seized for Trump's racist vanity project, according to a court filing.https://t.co/1VOVEQmjmA
— Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) December 8, 2021
“Now that we have successfully stopped the construction of a needless and wasteful border wall on their property, Ms. Cavazos and her family will be able to continue their quiet and fulfilling life beside the Rio Grande,” the group added.
BREAKING: Our client, Eloisa Cavazos, has just had her land returned to her after fighting against the government’s seizure and border wall construction since 2018. pic.twitter.com/26orWHKAFo
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) December 7, 2021
The Cavazos family had fought the Bush and Obama administrations to protect their 6.5-acre property, but when Donald Trump pressed to build a border wall, the court proceedings were put on hold.
They hoped to put an end to a years-long battle under President Biden’s presidency after he committed not to build the wall.
Trump took it , President Biden will give it back
Business Insider: Biden administration ordered to return border wall land to Texas family.https://t.co/OwMB0syANh
— CeCeIsBoosted (@gumboqueen3030) December 10, 2021
A federal judge ordered in April that the administration may seize their property “immediately.”
Months later, after reaching an agreement, the US government chose to return the Cavazos family’s land.
