Texas governor Greg Abbott has come head-to-head with the Biden administration regarding border control. Since January 11, when Texas strung razor wires along the Mexican border, there has been a dispute on whether or not the government has the right to take them down. After the Supreme Court issued to vacate the injunction that prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting the wires, an ultimatum was sent to remove obstructions.
But Texas has still refused to budge. Because of the state’s refusal, relationships may be cut, and the safety of the border may be threatened because of this hostility. To prevent these things from happening, the government should have sole control over the national borders, because the borders impact the entire country’s national security, boosts foreign relationships and creates a consistency in national policies.
A country’s borders impact the entire country, not simply the state in which it is located. Although states should reserve certain rights such as deciding the legality of abortion or drugs, the control of the borders should fall under the responsibility of the federal government.
Allowing states to set their own border regulations would put the entire nation at risk. For instance, if a single state has a more lenient and careless control over its border than others, then it may become an entrypoint for illegal drugs smuggling or human trafficking, making it hard for federal agencies to fend off threats and therefore endangering the safety of the entire nation.
In addition, the interests of the entire nation are served by the borders, whether it is for immigration, trade, or national security. Government control over borders is necessary to safeguard the collective interests of the country. By having control, the government is able to take into account broader implications and the overall impact of the issue instead of individual states’ self-serving or divergent goals.
Allowing states to retain control over their borders increases the chances of political manipulation and state governments changing laws out of self-interest. By centralising border regulations, the government can effectively coordinate efforts to protect the country against threats such as illegal migration, smuggling, and terrorism while upholding the nation’s best interests.
Granting the government full control of the nation’s borders can also create consistency in policy and boost foreign relationships. Texas is not the only state that shares a border with a neighboring country. If each state has their own jurisdiction over the borders, it would create an inconsistent policy towards neighboring countries. The lack of consistency can also give other nations the impression of the US having a messy and unregulated system, weakening their credibility on the world stage. Moreover, if the federal government announced an open border with a neighboring country, yet a single state decided to build their own border against that country, it would cause diplomatic challenges and deteriorate the relationship between the two countries.
Taking into account the whole nation’s safety, allowing one state to decide border regulations could pose dangers to the entire country, and not just that individual state. Consistency and unity in promoting the same laws everywhere in the country, and fostering friendly relationships with neighboring countries is essential to creating an organised nation. Having the entire nation on the same page eliminates individual weaknesses and would inevitably lead to a unified, stronger America.
