THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE STATE OF OUR HEARTS

The showdown in Eagle Pass

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas now asserts his right to override federal authority and block border patrol agents from saving the lives of drowning migrants. He is backed by 25 Republican Governors who say they agree with him. Former President Trump says other states should send their national guards to support Texas. Nikki Haley says Texas could secede from the union (“ I mean, it’s their decision to make”). And RFK Jr. says he supports Texas because “there is no nation without a border.” 

As President, I would stand for none of this. Mama be mad and everyone would know it. States’ rights are important but Governor Abbott does not have the right to override federal authority – neither border patrol, the President, or SCOTUS! Memo to Haley: the Civil War ended decisively and the Union won.

I would federalize the Texas National Guard.

There are deeper, darker dynamics that are bubbling to the surface here as well. There is a mean-spirited strain of American consciousness more willing to watch people die than to help people live, and no it is not an accident that drowning migrants are brown and not white.

And much of this is simply election year theatre anyway. The situation at the border must be dealt with decisively, that is true. And the infrastructure exists to enable us to do that. Yet it needs to be funded. Republicans in Congress are blocking the President’s ability to act decisively to control the border, wanting to deny him an election year win.

As I have frequently stressed, in order to permanently solve the problem we must address root causes of the crisis at the border. Among other things, we should help re-stabilize Latin America economies that we ourselves helped destabilize over a period of many years. Also, by decriminalizing drugs we will help disempower the drug cartels.

But nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies transgressing our most basic human values as a nation. I have been to Eagle Pass. I have seen the concertina wire. I have seen the buoys that when put in the water make people drown. It is a radical humanitarianism, not a draconian cold heart, that is our salvation at such a time is this. It is definitely appropriate sometimes to say “No, you cannot enter the country.” But it is never appropriate to simply watch innocent, desperate people die when they are trying to.