When the Supreme Court ruled recently that the federal government could remove razor wire on the border between Texas and Mexico that was put in place by the state of Texas, it set off a legal, political, and even theological debate about the federalism and border policy. Despite the ruling, the state of Texas has said it will continue installing the wire, and several states have decided to send state troopers and members of the National Guard to Texas to help the effort.
Yes, the federal government generally has had jurisdiction over what happens at our federal border, but we’ve never faced a situation where the federal government was trying to tear down border barriers to make it easier to illegally enter the country. These are unique times.
As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has pointed out, if the Constitution was intended to force states to accept…
