Tensions escalate over immigration issue between Texas, U.S. federal govt

The immigration issue has recently intensified tensions between the southern U.S. state of Texas and the federal government, exacerbating partisanship and fears of a constitutional crisis in the United States.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier in January that federal agents could cut the razor wire that Texas has installed at the border of the United States and Mexico.

The razor wire, set up at the order of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, is meant to deter migrants from crossing the border.

Abbott said that the operation was within the constitutional "right of self-defense," and he accused U.S. President Joe Biden of failing to fulfill his constitutional duty to protect the nation's borders by allowing millions of immigrants to enter the country illegally.

"This is not over. Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent to the illegal crossings Biden encourages," Abbott said on social media. "I will continue to defend Texas' constitutional authority to secure the border and prevent the Biden Administration from destroying our property."

Abbott has gained the support of more than 20 Republican governors, as well as former U.S. President Donald Trump.

In a speech focused overwhelmingly on border security on  Saturday, Trump said Texas should be given full support in its measures to deter migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. The state is restricting the U.S. Border Patrol after the Supreme Court cleared the way for these federal agents to cut or remove the sharp metal barrier.

"When I'm president, instead of trying to send Texas a restraining order, I will send them reinforcements," Trump told a crowd of supporters in Las Vegas, where he rallied on an indoor soccer field in a largely Latino neighborhood. "Instead of fighting border states, I will use every resource tool and authority of the U.S. president to defend the United States of America from this horrible invasion that is taking place right now."

Biden said the White House is negotiating an immigration bill with members of both parties in Congress to address the "border crisis."

The White House has repeatedly slammed Abbott and other Republicans for using the immigration issue as a political "stunt."

The unprecedented "standoff" between Texas state and the federal government over the southern border is escalating, according to U.S. media reports.

Polls have shown that immigration is one of the top issues for American voters as the country enters an election year in 2024.

Read more:

Texas' border standoff with Border Patrol continues as border deal within reach

Flow of migrants into U.S. remains steady

(With input from agencies)