Staff Reports
The Biden administration just got another legal blow, as a federal appeals court just approved a lawsuit from Texas and Missouri that would require President Biden to keep constructing his predecessor’s southern border wall.
Texas and Missouri claim that Biden is unlawfully repurposing funds that Congress already authorized for the construction of the border wall. They are also criticizing the administration for leaving them to bear the brunt of increased illegal immigration and all its attendant costs. The lawsuit was initially thrown out by a district court, but a panel from the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has declared that the case can proceed.
According to the states, Biden’s decision not to build the wall has increased the costs of illegal immigration, including expenses for healthcare, education and even driver’s licenses. Writing for the panel, United States Circuit Judge Edith Jones stated that the states have the grounds to sue, due to the fact that border barriers “reduce illegal entries in areas where constructed, and increase the rate at which illegal aliens are detected and apprehended”. The judge emphasized that while the border barriers “do not fully stem the tide,” they “reduce Texas’s costs relative to a non-border wall policy.”
On day one of his administration, Biden decided to end the construction of the border wall as a rejection of his predecessor’s strict immigration policies. Texas and Missouri requested for a lawsuit in 2021 over Biden’s decision to reallocate $2.7 billion in congressionally authorized funding for the wall. However, U.S District Judge Micaela Alvarez dismissed the case in August of last year. Judges Jones and Jerry Smith, who were both appointed by former President Reagan, saw things differently, however.
Republicans have been fighting tirelessly to make sure that Biden secures the southern border, which has been plagued by soaring numbers of illegal immigrants. As the Democratic race for President intensifies, some Democrats are now accusing Biden of replicating Trump’s immigration playbook to restrict asylum, highlighting the president’s lack of consistency when it comes to dealing with the border crisis. Although the Biden administration is cheerful over a decrease in border crossings since May, when it began executing new restrictions, it remains unclear if this apparent lull will continue throughout the summer, which has traditionally been a busy season for illegal immigration.
Overall, while Biden is playing politics with an increasing number of illegal immigrants piling up in his wake, Texas and Missouri are trying to protect their interests and preserve the well-being of their citizens.
Source: Conservative Institute
