“What Next?” You Asked …

Posted on by under Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary

Late last night I read Heather Cox Richardson’s daily newsletter, Letters from an American, and the first two paragraphs caused my jaw to drop to the floor.  The lust of some people to turn this nation into an all-white, straight, male-dominated Christian nation has gone too far!!!  I must share that newsletter with you …

January 13, 2024

By Heather Cox Richardson

14 January 2024

Last night a woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande that marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico near Eagle Pass, Texas.

U.S. Border Patrol agents knew that a group of six migrants were in distress in the river but could not try to save them, as they normally would, because troops from the Texas National Guard and the Texas Military Department prevented the Border Patrol agents from entering the area where they were struggling: Shelby Park, a 47-acre public park that offers access to a frequently traveled part of the river and is a place where Border Patrol agents often encounter migrants crossing the border illegally.

They could not enter because two days ago, on Thursday, Texas governor Greg Abbott sent armed Texas National Guard soldiers and soldiers from the Texas Military Department to take control of Shelby Park. Rolando Salinas, the mayor of Eagle Pass, posted a video on Facebook showing the troops and saying that a state official had told him that state troops were taking “full control” over Shelby Park “indefinitely.” Salinas made it clear that “[t]his is not something that we wanted. This is not something that we asked for as a city.”

The Texas forces have denied United States Border Patrol officials entry into the park to perform their duties, asserting that Texas officials have power over U.S. officials.

On December 18, Abbott signed into law S.B. 4, a measure that attempts to take into state hands the power over immigration the Constitution gives to the federal government. Courts have repeatedly reinforced that immigration is the responsibility of federal, not state, government, but now, according to Uriel J. García of the Texas Tribune, “some Texas Republicans have said they hope the new law will push the issue back before a U.S. Supreme Court that is more conservative since three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined it.”

On January 3 the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the new law, saying: “Texas cannot run its own immigration system. Its efforts, through S.B. 4, intrude on the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens, frustrate the United States’ immigration operations and proceedings, and interfere with U.S. foreign relations.”

Abbott and MAGA Republicans are teeing up the issue of immigration as a key line of attack on President Joe Biden in 2024, but while they are insisting the issue is so important they will not agree to fund Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s 2022 invasion until it is solved, they are also unwilling to participate in discussions to fund more border officers or immigration courts. Today, once again, Biden reminded reporters that he has asked Congress to pass new border measures since he took office, but rather than pass new laws, Republicans appear to be doubling down on pushing the idea that migrants threaten American society and that an individual state—Texas, in this case—can override federal authority.

Abbott has spent more than $100 million of Texas tax dollars to send migrants to cities led by Democrats. These migrants have applied for asylum and are waiting for a hearing; they are in the U.S. legally. In September 2023, Texas stopped coordinating with nonprofits in those cities that prepared for migrant arrivals.

Yesterday, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker wrote to Abbott, calling him out for choosing “to sow chaos in an attempt to score political points.” Pritzker noted that Abbott is “sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter—many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow—to a city whose shelters are already overfilled with migrants you sent here.” Chicago’s temperatures are set to drop below zero this weekend, Pritzker wrote, and he “strongly urge[d]” Abbott to stop sending people to Illinois in these conditions. “You are dropping off asylum seekers without alerting us to their arrivals, at improper locations at all hours of the night.”

Pritzker wrote that he supports bipartisan immigration reform but “[w]hile action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves. Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state. We are asking you to help prevent additional deaths. We should be able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act. But right now, we are talking about human beings and their survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now.”

Speaking on the right-wing Dana Loesch Show last week, Abbott said, “The only thing that we’re not doing is we’re not shooting people who come across the border, because of course the Biden administration would charge us with murder.” [Emphasis added]
On January 13, 1833, President Andrew Jackson wrote to Vice President–elect Martin van Buren to explain his position on South Carolina’s recent assertion that sovereign states could overrule federal laws. “Was this to be permitted the government would lose the confidence of its citizens and it would induce disunion everywhere. No my friend, the crisis must be now met with firmness, our citizens protected, and the modern doctrine of nullification and secession put down forever…. [N]othing must be permitted to weaken our government at home or abroad,” he wrote.

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23 thoughts on ““What Next?” You Asked …”

  1. Dear Jill,

    This tragic news gets worse. It seems that the GOP MAGA ex-president has been openly encouraging Republican governors to send national guard troops to TX to assist Governor Abbott. It is true that on January 25, 2024, 25 Republican governors did sign a joint statement of “solidarity” in support of the state of Texas and its elected leader, Gov. Greg Abbott, in regard to his handling of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

    I’ve not been able to confirm some news reports indicating that some of these same governors did indeed send some troops.

    It is a fact that a majority of the Republican governors who signed the joint statement had, in the past, sent relatively small numbers of their individual state National Guard units to the southern border and some of those service members are still in Texas.

    Hugs, Gronda

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  2. It’s all so gross and frightening I can’t even know where to begin. But I will say that those accomplices to murder in my eyes, to stand there in cold blood and watch people drown is something the nazis would take pride in. Disgusting! 😦

    Liked by 2 people

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  4. Thank you for sharing!!.. Unfortunately the circumstances which the letter describes is happening the world over… what one is dealing with is a closed minded, self-centered element of today’s world societies who have chosen a state of life to remain in, be it greed or fear (especially in the world of religion), and will deny any source, be it technology or person, that may in some way affect their way of life or thinking… makes no difference whether the source comes from another country or at home…. 🙂

    With limited technology in the past, one would not be aware of the issues, but with today’s technology and knowledge, the entire universe is aware of what is going on… of course, what we hear the most of are the Abbotts, Trumps, Putins, Middle East, and other people and places too numerous to mention that make the headlines…we hear very little about the people themselves and what they think….the key, is everyone use that technology, like YOU do, to inform others and work together, in a civilized manner, to over come the issues for the good of everyone… “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” ( Mother Teresa) … 🙂

    Hope you and your family have the mostest wonderfulest 2024 ever, your path in life is paved with peace, love and happiness and until we meet again…

    May love and laughter light your days,
    and warm your heart and home.
    May the sun shine all day long
    Everything go right, nothing go wrong
    May those you love bring love back to you
    And may all the wishes you wish come true
    May your troubles be less
    Your blessings be more
    And nothing but happiness
    Come through your door
    (Irish Saying)

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  6. The WHTE populationin America seemed to have, forgotten about, whose BLOOD, SWEAT, and TEARS, went into, building up the, foundation of the country, forgetting about how, it’s the slaves, who’d, set up the foundation of the economy in the, South in the, Civil War (the cotton plantation), or how, it was the, Asians who, built up the, railroad systems, and, they are, ungrateful, and, believe they’re, better than us, who have a, darker, skin, color? Well, the TRUE COLORS of, white supremacy is no longer, covered up, and, racism had always been alive and well, in the U.S., it’s just, that, it’s only,vstarting ylti, finally, get, nrought out, onto the, surfaces in, recent, years.

    Liked by 2 people

    • You are so right, my friend … they have largely forgotten all that you mention, and now they are trying to erase that history so that future generations won’t even know. More and more, this nation is becoming not only a white supremacist one, but also is reverting back to a male-dominant one where women’s rights are only those which men allow them to have. Every form of bigotry imaginable is on the rise here and the politicians are stoking those fires.

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  7. Jill, we must encourage people to reach out to politicians and share diplomatically, but frankly their concerns. Lately, I have been calling politicians who have endorsed the former president to share how disheartening and disappointing their endorsement is. After my usual spiel over his legal issues, I share the need that his court trials occur before the election. I also share I will not vote for any politician who supports Donald Trump. Full stop. Keith

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    • There comes a point when I can no longer be diplomatic, such as when a governor of a state is so cold-hearted that he is willing to let people die just to make a point. Sigh. But apart from that, yes, you are right and I do so admire your ability to remain calm and be the diplomat, be the adult in the room. Like you, I will not vote for any politician that supports Trump. At a tele-rally in Iowa last night, he made this statement: “You can’t sit home. If you’re sick as a dog, you say ‘Darling, I gotta make it.’ Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it, remember.” Can he make it any clearer that he does not care one whit for the lives of the people of this nation???

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  8. Read her this morning and I was disgusted, then I remembered it was Texas and the governor is a soulless bastard.
    The human race is beginning to rot inside..too many people feel just like Abbott and DeSantis do…evil malignant men

    Liked by 2 people

    • In my view, Governor Abbott has the blood of those three people on his hands, as do the National Guardsmen who stood at the bank of the river watching those people drown without so much as lifting a finger to help them! Yes, I would agree with you … the human species isn’t progressing, but rather is regressing … I’m glad I’m old.

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  11. Beau of the 5th column spoke of it. Mexican officials alerted the border patrol to the migrants distress so it’s an international incident now.😠Must give Texans real comfort to know they are guarded over by men and women willing to let children drown upon orders of their governor.😐

    Liked by 4 people

    • I just still can’t get over it … in my book, Governor Abbott has blood on his hands as surely as if he had murdered that woman and two children. I saw a picture of the national guardsmen standing at the riverbank watching these poor people struggle and not lifting a FINGER to help! Apparently they do not own a conscience! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …

      Liked by 1 person

      • I joke about Texas but I have two sisters and dozens of nieces and nephews there. This is the second time within the year a Texas man has stood back and watched children die. Succeed, who will miss you? You’re stinking the place up like your orange leader, cowards.

        Liked by 1 person

        • I have a few friends there, but no family. And at least two of my friends there are seriously considering leaving the state. I read yesterday where somebody said, referring to the woman and children who drowned, that since they were breaking the law, they deserved what they got. WHERE is the humanity???? Has our society truly become so cruel?

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    • And along those lines, this is verbatim what he said on a tele-rally in Iowa today: “You can’t sit home. If you’re sick as a dog, you say ‘Darling, I gotta make it.’ Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it, remember.” If that doesn’t make it plain as day that he cares NOTHING for the lives of the people of this nation, then I don’t know what will. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …

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