By Ted Hesson and Alexandra Ulmer
In the past year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed thousands of National Guard troops to the southern U.S. border, begun building a new border barrier, and arrested migrants for allegedly trespassing on private property.
The two-term Republican governor has taken the lead in opposing Democratic President Joe Biden’s immigration reforms, earning him an endorsement by former President Donald Trump.
But as Abbott runs for a third term, conservative candidates challenging him in a March 1 Republican nominating contest contend he is still not tough enough on illegal immigration.
Allen West, a former Republican U.S. congressman, says Texas should arrest and deport immigrants who enter the United States illegally – something states do not have the power to do – if the federal government refuses to act. The “porous border” shows how Abbott’s approach has failed, West argues.
