(NewsNation) — As federal government and Texas state officials continue sparring over border issues, former acting Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Director John Sandweg says both need to work together to figure out a solution.
On Jan. 10, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Military Department to assume control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, preventing Border Patrol access to about 2 1/2 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Department of Homeland Security General Counsel Jonathan Meyer then sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, telling him Texas’ actions are “clearly unconstitutional and are actively disrupting the federal government’s operations.”
“We demand that Texas cease and desist its efforts to block Border Patrol’s access in and around the Shelby Park area and remove all barriers to access in the Shelby Park area,” Meyer wrote.
Paxton responded to Meyer by criticizing President Joe Biden for authorizing DHS to “send a threatening letter through its lawyers” instead of “addressing Texas’ urgent requests for protection.”
“But Texas has lawyers, too, and I will continue to stand up for this State’s constitutional powers of self-defense,” Paxton wrote in his own letter.
Sandweg said on “NewsNation Now” that “it’s border security that loses” when “politicians try to punish each other” like this.
“But the bottom line is border security is more effective, and our borders are safer,” he said. “There’s a role for state law enforcement at the border. But it needs to be done in coordination and collaboration with the federal government.”