Texas Gov. Greg Abbott penned a letter to President Joe Biden on Wednesday, asking that the federal government return the land that was taken along the Texas–Mexico border for purpose of building former president Donald Trump’s border wall, Breitbart reported.
Abbott recently announced that Texas will continue border wall construction on its own after Biden halted construction as one of his first executive acts.
Texas has now committed $250 million in state funding for the completion of the project, and also has set up a fundraising page to accept private donations.
The governor wrote in his letter to Biden that “[s]ecuring the international border is one of the federal government’s most fundamental responsibilities.”
But according to Abbott, the Biden administration has “made clear the federal government will not move forward with building the border wall at this time,” neglecting to use the land for the very reason that it was taken in the first place.
Abbott demanded that the land be returned to Texas for the continuation of the project by the state government.
“Texas stands ready to build the wall in Texas,” he wrote. “[A]nd we have begun the process of hiring a manager to oversee that project. … We will also visit with Texans whose land was taken by the federal government to determine if they will allow the State of Texas to build a wall on their land.”
Abbott further blasted Biden’s general response to the immigration crisis, which has especially harmed Texas and other border states.
According to Abbott, Biden’s “immigration policies are making Texas ‘ground zero’ for a dramatic influx of unlawful immigrants.”
Sheriffs across Texas have witnessed a massive influx in crime since the crisis began.
“[A]ll of America will suffer from the flood of dangerous drugs, human traffickers, and convicted criminals that may cause harm in other states after entering through Texas,” Abbott said.
