Texas Gov. Abbott defends decision to build floating border wall amid immigration crisis

Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott delivered an address to the state’s Republican County chairs on Friday and addressed the recent move to install floating barriers along the Rio Grande as part of an effort to reduce illegal immigration.

During his speech in Georgetown, Texas, Abbott spoke about his administration’s response to the influx of migrants entering the state illegally through the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Fox 7.

“I will do whatever I have to do to defend our state from the invasion of the Mexican drug cartels and others who have tried to come into our country illegally, and I will protect our sovereignty,” Abbott said.

The governor touted his recent decision to have a floating border wall built in the Rio Grande as part of Operation Lone Star.

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“It’s called operation hold the line,” he said. “They are holding the line and ensuring that nobody enters the state of Texas illegally.”

The Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against Texas after Abbott refuse to remove the buoys. The department accused the governor of violating federal law, calling his one-thousand-foot-long barrier “unlawful construction.”

This comes as Texas continues to send buses of migrants to sanctuary cities across the country, including New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Abbott has previously said the migrant relocations will not stop until the federal government fixes the crisis at the Southern Border.

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“I challenge the federal government to show that they have spent that much money in the state of Texas on the border under Joe Biden as president,” Abbott said on Friday.

“He gave me a lawsuit, and by God, Joe Biden, we will see you in court,” he added.

Demonstrators were outside the governor’s mansion in Austin on Friday to protest against Abbott’s floating border wall.