TEXAS, USA — Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu says it’s simple: the U.S. Supreme Court is the highest authority on what the law is in our country.
And now that the Supreme Court ruled that federal agents can cut some of the razor wire installed by the state of Texas in Eagle Pass along the border with Mexico, he says he expects elected officials to follow the law.
“If you say I don’t care, then no law matters. You can do anything you want,” Wu, D-Houston, told us on Inside Texas Politics.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Biden Administration and allowed federal agents access to some areas along the border, some Republicans have called for Gov. Greg Abbott and the state of Texas to ignore the ruling, including Congressman Chip Roy, R-Austin.
Abbott calls the historic numbers of migrants crossing the Texas border an “invasion” and says the state has a constitutional right to defend itself. And he argues that authority supersedes any federal statute.
Wu says he takes issue with the term “invasion.”
“This is a blatantly racist and charged term. So, you look at invasions around the world. They involve tanks. They involve guns. They involve rockets and missiles and bombs,” said Wu. “And here in the southern border, we’re talking about women with children and babies. People who are just desperately trying to flee the violence and the chaos.”
Other Republicans, from former President Donald Trump to all but one Republican governor, publicly support Abbott’s actions, telling the governor to “hold the line.”
But Wu points to the abortion restrictions in our state and says he wonders if women should just ignore the law like Republicans are suggesting Texas do with the Supreme Court ruling.
“If rape victims can follow the law, then Governor Abbott can too,” he said.
At the end of the day, Wu says this issue is about whether you follow the laws as they’re written.
And Wu expects this standoff to end in only one way.
“I expect the elected officials of this nation, whether they’re state, local or federal officials, to follow the law. That’s it. Do your job. Uphold your constitutionally sworn oath. Follow the law. Uphold the Constitution of the United States of America,” said Wu.