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The US Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, is allowing Border Patrol to resume cutting razor wire installed by Texas as the legal fight plays out.
The court’s decision allows agents to cut concertina wire that Texas had installed along the border. The wire had been installed as part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's broader fight with the administration over immigration enforcement and attempts to stem the historic flow of migrants across the border since Biden's term began.
In a 5-4 vote, the justices granted an emergency appeal from the Biden administration, which has been in an escalating standoff with the state.
The deciding vote was cast by Justice Roberts, while Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh were in the dissent. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a Trump appointee, also sided with the majority.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has responded to the ruling in a statement:
“The Supreme Court’s temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America,” Attorney General Paxton said. “The destruction of Texas’s border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state’s sovereignty.”