Arkansas governor will attend Texas-Mexico border event in support of Abbott
by Sonny Albarado, Arkansas Advocate
February 2, 2024
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will join 14 other Republican governors participating in a border tour and press conference at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Sunday with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott has accused President Joe Biden of “failing to perform his duties to secure the border” and invoked his state’s constitutional duty to defend itself from what he calls an “invasion” of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sanders last month was among 25 governors who sent a letter of support to Abbott for his actions at the border, which have included stretching razor wire along the Rio Grande River. In mid-January, a woman and two children drowned while crossing the river where Texas authorities had blocked U.S. Border Patrol agents from accessing, according to a Biden administration U.S. Supreme Court filing in a lawsuit against the state.
The rift between Texas and the federal government has widened since, and U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, asserted Wednesday that the administration, not Congress, is responsible for taking action on immigration.
In his first speech on the House floor, Johnson said that Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “have designed this catastrophe. And now, rather than accept any accountability or responsibility for what they have clearly done, President Biden wants to somehow shift the blame to Congress.”
Meanwhile, a bipartisan deal on immigration in the Senate remains uncertain after former President Donald Trump pushed Republican lawmakers to oppose it as he uses border concerns as a key campaign issue in his 2024 run for the presidency.
But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that a vote on the agreement could come as early as next Wednesday.
Sunday’s press conference will take place at 2:30 p.m. Central Time at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas after the 15 governors receive a briefing on the Operation Lone Star mission to secure the border, according to a press release from Sanders’ office.
Sanders sent Arkansas National Guard troops to Texas last year to help the state’s guardsmen in their border mission.
Also in attendance will be Freeman Martin, deputy director of the Texas Department of Public Safety; Adjutant General of Texas Major General Thomas Suelzer, and Texas Border Czar Mike Banks.
The other governors who will join Abbott at Eagle Pass:
- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
- Georgia Gov. Brian KempIdaho Gov. Brad Little
- Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb
- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry
- Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves
- Missouri Gov. Mike Parson
- Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte
- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen
- New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu
- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem
- Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee
Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on Facebook and Twitter.
