Supreme Court allows U.S. Border Patrol to remove razor wire installed by Texas officials

In an emergency action on Monday, The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Biden Administration, allowing Border Patrol agents to remove razor wire installed by Texas law enforcement officers along the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, TX. This ruling vacates an appeals court ruling that allowed the razor wire to remain in place while the matter continues to be argued in court.

Immigration enforcement has a long precedent of being under the jurisdiction of the federal government and the Texas government’s placement of razor wire along the border defies that federal authority and impedes the ability of federal agents to effectively carry out their work. “Enforcement of immigration law is a federal responsibility,” Luis Miranda, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. “Rather than helping to reduce irregular migration, the State of Texas has only made it harder for frontline personnel to do their jobs and to apply consequences under the law.”

Governor Greg Abbott has stated that the fight over border enforcement is not over. As he wrote in a social media post, "Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent to the illegal crossings Biden encourages. I will continue to defend Texas' constitutional authority to secure the border and prevent the Biden Admin from destroying our property."

The State Department celebrates one year of the Welcome Corps

January 19 marked the one year anniversary of the Welcome Corps, a private sponsorship program that provides American citizens and permanent residents the opportunity to welcome refugees arriving through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

In the first year, over 100 private sponsorship groups have signed up to be matched with refugees who need resettlement support and more than 50,000 individuals have attended information sessions to learn more about the program and completed training. Find out more about the Welcome Corps and how you can welcome refugees into your community by registering to attend our webinar on Thursday, January 25 at 8 p.m. ET. or watch it on demand.