Attorney General Garland Tells Texas Governor to Rescind Executive Order
THE DC PATRIOT | By Julio Cahn | August 1, 2021
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an Executive Order on Wednesday that states no person, other than a federal, state, or local law-enforcement official, shall provide ground transportation to a group of migrants. This allows state troopers and/or the state’s Department of Public Safety to stop any vehicle upon reasonable suspicion of a violation, and turn around any vehicle and reroute such vehicle carrying migrants, back to its point of origin or port of entry, on the basis the migrants could increase the spread of COVID-19.
In releasing the directive on Wednesday, Abbott said, “We must do more to protect Texans from this virus and reduce the burden on our communities.” The order states that the new policy is warranted because of President Joe Biden’s “refusal to enforce laws passed by the U.S. Congress” and the measure is aimed at protecting Texans from exposure to COVID-19.
The order from Abbott drew swift backlash and a threat of a lawsuit from the Justice Department. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a letter warning the Governor to immediately rescind the new Executive Order aimed at curbing the travel into the state of undocumented immigrants.
The letter from Garland was issued on Thursday, just one day after Abbott’s directive, is one of the most forceful pushbacks yet from the Biden administration over the actions taken by Abbott along the U.S./Mexico border, which have also included jailing migrants on state crimes and building new fencing.
Garland told Abbott in the letter, “The order violates federal law in numerous respects, and Texas cannot lawfully enforce the executive order against any federal or private parties working with the United States. If Texas continues to implement the ground restrictions on migrants, then the Justice Department will pursue all appropriate legal remedies.”
Garland’s letter also said, “The order would jeopardize the health and safety of noncitizens in federal government custody and it will interfere with the implementation of federal immigration law. The order is both dangerous and unlawful.”
Abbott shrugged off Garland’s letter in a statement that blamed the Biden administration for high levels of migration along the southern border. Abbott said, “The Biden administration is jeopardizing the health and safety of Texans on a daily bases by refusing to follow the law.”
