25 states with Republican governors sign letter supporting Texas in border control fight: What to know

Almost all of the U.S. Republican governors have signed on a statement backing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in his bitter fight against the federal government over border control.

The statement released Thursday on the Republican Governors Association website criticized the Biden Administration and said the state of Texas has the constitutional right to defend itself. This week, Texas officials and the Department of Homeland Security sparred over barbed wire along the Rio Grande. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal agents can cut through the razor wire the state installed to deter people from crossing.

“We stand in solidarity with our fellow Governor, Greg Abbott, and the State of Texas in utilizing every tool and strategy, including razor wire fences, to secure the border," the letter, signed by 25 Republican governors. "Because the Biden Administration has abdicated its constitutional compact duties to the states, Texas has every legal justification to protect the sovereignty of our states and our nation.”

The White House addressed the governors' statement at a press briefing Friday.

“I would say to them that if they truly want to help with the issue at the border, with the immigration system, that they need to talk to the congressional members, the senators in their state," said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. "They need to ask them to make sure that they have the resources they need within their respective states to take action to actually deal with a broken system."

More: Texas gov transforms immigration from a border issue to a backyard one. Dems aren't happy.

What states are supporting Texas?

Governors from the following states signed the statement supporting Texas Gov. Greg Abbott:

• Alabama

• Alaska

• Arkansas

• Florida

• Georgia

• Idaho

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Louisiana

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• Nevada

• New Hampshire

• North Dakota

• Ohio

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Utah

• Virginia

• West Virginia

• Wyoming

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott is the only Republican governor who did not sign onto the statement to support Abbott.

More: 2024 Texas Democratic US Senate race kicks off with AFL-CIO debate Sunday

Operation Lone Star and the dispute over Texas's border

As part of Operation Lone Star, Abbott's $11 billion border security initiative, Texas has implemented several measures to block migrants from entering the state, including setting up the razor wire, placing large water buoys in the Rio Grande and building segments of a state border wall.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal agents can remove the razor wire after the federal government earlier this month sought an emergency ruling allowing it to do so to reach migrants or officers in distress and to patrol the southern border.

But the ruling did not seem to deter Abbott, who posted on social saying, "this is not over." The Texas Military Department also posted photos Tuesday of soldiers installing more wire in Eagle Pass, where the state has barred the federal access to Shelby Park.

More: 2 children, woman die in Rio Grande as feds, Texas debate border control

Abbott on Wednesday again accused the Biden administration of failing to prosecute migrants for illegally entering the country, ignoring rules surrounding the detention of migrants and "wasting taxpayer dollars to tear open Texas’s border security infrastructure."

Republican governors support Texas's constitutional claim, but don't supply material support

Abbott invoked state's constitutional right of self-defense in the justifying the patrol tactics and flouting federal guidance, but the U.S. Constitution relegates immigration law to the federal government.

Abbott and his supporters pointed to two provisions: Article 4, Section 4 of the constitution, which states the U.S. will defend states against invasion; and Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3, which bans states from engaging in war "unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay."

Abbott and the faction of governors argue that the Biden administration has failed to uphold duties in the former, allowing Texas to evade federal guidance in the name of the latter.

"Instead of upholding the rule of law and securing the border, the Biden Administration has attacked and sued Texas for stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country," Republican governors said.

Though the letter expressed support of this argument, there were few details about support beyond solidarity. Some signatories posted on X in support of Abbott as well, recalling previously sending national guard troops from their state to help in border control, though none committed additional resources in light of the recent battles.

In the Friday press briefing, Jean-Pierre called Abbott's defiance "shameful."

"It is shameful that we continue to see these political stunts and we continue to see these political games," she said. "It is not safe. It does not help solve the problem. It does not help solve the issue.”

She also said that any changes to immigration policies will have to go through Congress, and reiterated that the signatories should work with their senators and representatives to advance legislative reform.

Contributing: Michael Collins, Francesca Chambers, John C. Moritz, USA TODAY Network

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Republican states supporting Texas in border dispute: What to know