"We are prepared, in the event that that unlikely event does occur, just to make sure that we will be able to continue exactly what we’ve been doing over the past month, and that is building these barriers," Abbott said in an interview with Tucker Carlson, when asked about the potential for the federal government to take over the Texas National Guard.
On Monday, the US Supreme Court issued a temporary order allowing federal Border Patrol agents to remove physical border barriers placed by Texas. However, Abbott maintains that Texas has the constitutional authority to protect its borders, due to the federal government’s failure to address the flow of illegal migrants into the United States.
Earlier on Friday, the Border Patrol Union said that its federal agents will not arrest Texas National Guard members for following their lawful orders. Rank-and-file Border Patrol agents "appreciate and respect" Texas’ actions, the statement said.