George P. Bush, Republican candidate for Texas attorney general, speaks during a campaign event in Lakeway, Texas, U.S., on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. Photo courtesy: Matthew Busch/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said Friday "Texans have had enough" with the historic surge of illegal immigration, smuggling of drugs, and illegal activity in border communities.
The state attorney general candidate joined "Fox & Friends" to explain why he is declaring the surge an "invasion" perpetrated by drug cartels and traffickers. He called on Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, his primary opponent, to make the formal declaration.
"Under the Constitution, it's very clear. Under Article Four, Section Four, the U.S. national government is compelled to protect the individual states and under Article One, Section 10, states like Texas can rise up and protect itself if the federal government won't do its job," he told host Brian Kilmeade.
Republican states, including Texas, have sued the Biden administration over a controversial rule that would expedite asylum claims at the southern border -- the latest in a slew of legal challenges by Republican states over the administration’s immigration policies.
The lawsuit by 14 states, led by Arizona, Missouri and Louisiana, seeks to block a rule that would allow U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers, rather than immigration judges to hear asylum cases for migrants placed in expedited removal. The rule is set to go into effect in May.
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Lawmakers fear lifting Title 42 will cause massive migrant surge
Diana Gomez, advocacy director of Progress Texas, and James Dickey, CEO of JD Key Communications, join FOX 7 Austin's Mike Warren for a Title 42 discussion.
Along with Arizona, Louisiana and Missouri on the lawsuit are Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Texas filed a similar lawsuit separately overnight.
Bush explained what would change by declaring the influx an "invasion" and applauded Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich for "leading the charge" on the issue.
"The next step in this process is for our current attorney general to draft an advisory opinion to this effect and for the governor to step forward and have that flexibility, that statutory authority that he has to further strengthen not only our border, but to back our law enforcement officials who are hamstrung and unable to enforce federal immigration law," said Bush.
Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, said Texas needs to step up to secure the border if the federal government will not.
"If this president is actively going to work against law and order, it has to rest on the states to do the job."
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Migrants packed in shelters awaiting Title 42 to be lifted
Migrants are staying in packed shelters in the border town of Tijuana, waiting for Title 42 to be lifted on May 23.
Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
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