Border standoff reaches Congress: Speaker Mike Johnson backs Texas in banning federal agents from Eagle Pass, while Democrats jump into Mayorka’s ‘sham’ impeachment and accuse Republican Party of siding with Trump

After a phone call with Governor Greg Abbott, Chairman Mike Johnson insisted that Texas should exercise “police powers” at the border to protect its people and that the Biden administration should not stand in the way.

“While we fight for the federal government to do its job, it is the expectation of the U.S. House of Representatives that the Biden administration will not interfere as Texas fulfills its responsibilities,” he said in a statement.

It comes amid an escalation in the feud between the Biden administration and the Lonestar State — and the issue of jurisdiction over the southern border. As the number of border crossings for migrants has increased, Abbott has deployed state law enforcement at the border and implemented his own deterrents that the Biden administration has fought against.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security could tear down razor wire that Abbott had installed along the border in Eagle Pass, Texas.

After the ruling, Abbott said he would put up more wire instead.

Republicans are behind Abbott. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, accused Democrats of allowing migrants into the country in a plan to “destroy Western civilization.”

“It is a deliberate attempt to engulf our society and undermine our way of life to destroy Western civilization,” he said. “(Abbott) has the duty, right and opportunity under the Constitution of the United States to stand up and defend the people of Texas, and we will stand with the governor.”

“I thank God for Texas,” said Rep. Brian Babin. “If this is going to be the hill to die on, I’m happy to tell you.”

Lately, Biden has been urged by some Texas Democrats to federalize the National Guard and take control from Abbott. Abbott has deployed the Guard along the border to intervene for the Border Patrol.

Abbott has taken control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass — a notoriously busy border crossing area — and has prevented federal border agents from doing their work there.

Immigration enforcement is typically a federal responsibility, but Abbott signed a law last month that he hopes will allow state law enforcement to arrest migrants for unlawful crossing at the state level and deport them to Mexico.

Meanwhile, the House plans to pass articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to release details of the Senate’s long-awaited national security and immigration package on Tuesday.

As migrant crossings have increased, Abbott has deployed state law enforcement at the border and implemented his own deterrents that the Biden administration has fought against.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Department of Homeland Security could tear down razor wire that Abbott had installed along the border in Eagle Pass, Texas. After the ruling, Abbott said he would put up more wire instead

Democrats held their own press conference to undermine the Republican party’s “sham” impeachment and accuse Johnson of caving to the far right and Donald Trump’s demands.

“This is a sham at best,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, as he insisted Mayorkas was simply implementing Biden’s policies.

“If the impeachment clause could speak, Republicans would be begging to stop shaming its name,” said Rep. Dan Goldman, R-N.Y., as he warned Republicans they are wasting their best chance at a legislative solution.

“What is very clear is that Secretary Mayorkas and President Biden have agreed to concessions that Republicans have never gotten before and will never get again because the administration wants to actually solve the problems at the border.”

An aerial view of the area as Texas National Guard soldiers continue to take security measures at Eagle Pass, Texas, on the Mexico-U.S. border on January 28, 2024.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said his Democrats are “ready, willing and able” to work on a bipartisan immigration deal, “but the extreme MAGA Republicans have been instructed by Donald Trump not to work together to address the challenges at the border.

At a rally last weekend, Trump said he was proud to take credit for undermining the Senate immigration deal — which Speaker Mike Johnson has said is likely “dead on arrival” based on media reports that he has seen about it.

Senate negotiators say the deal would speed deportations and shorten the wait for decisions on asylum cases.

“No bill is better than a bad bill,” Trump said. House Republicans are behind him.

“Biden is salivating at the prospect of this terrible compromise in the Senate,” said Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas.

“It is the rescinding of these executive orders that has created this crisis,” said Secretary of State and former Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas. But he seemed to suggest that Republicans in the House of Representatives had not taken the deal off the table in the Senate.

“If the Senate passes something with significant policy changes, I think we’ll look at that.”