City Council Discusses Resolution to Support Abbott on Border

Texas Capitol Building/Photo by Noah Dawson

Update 1/29/2024 6:30 pm: Councilman Don Tipps has indicated he would support a resolution, triggering Mayor Cole Stanley’s instruction to staff to draft a resolution.

Original story:

Mayor Cole Stanley and Councilman Tom Scherlen have taken to the Amarillo City Council Forum website to discuss the council potentially passing a resolution supporting Governor Greg Abbott in the legal battle with President Joe Biden over the border.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ordered federal Border Patrol agents could cut razor wire placed by the National Guard. Following the ruling, Governor Abbott released a statement stating that “the federal government has broken the compact between the United States and the States” and that he would not comply with the order from the Supreme Court.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, demanding that the agency produce “official plat maps and deeds demonstrating the precise parcels that you believe the United States owns; and your explanation of how exactly Texas officials are preventing access to those parcels by federal agents,” as well as “any written approval from the City of Eagle Pass or the State of Texas consenting to allow your federal agents to erect the open-border infrastructure hinted at in your letter; and your explanation of where the Congress has empowered your federal agency to pursue this scheme, notwithstanding statutory provisions to the contrary.” The letter from Paxton demanded the records be produced by February 15th.

On the City Council Forum website, Mayor Cole Stanley responded positively to a query from Councilman Scherlen about passing “a resolution supporting our Governor on his border policy.”

“I believe a resolution that reflects our total support of Governor Abbott’s actions, because of this breach of the Constitution by the Biden Administration, to be very appropriate,” wrote Stanley. “If we can get one other councilman to agree then I would like to instruct legal to draft this resolution this week.” As of writing, no other council members have expressed their opinion on the matter.

Several other states have expressed support for Texas’ actions, with some governors pledging to send their national guard to the state to assist Texas.