Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has secured a legal win defending state sovereignty after an Oklahoma property owner attempted to claim land along the Red River, arguing that the Texas-Oklahoma border had shifted.
The dispute began in August 2025, when the Oklahoma landowner filed a lawsuit in state court seeking to "quiet title" and assert ownership over land historically recognized as part of Texas. The claim relied on a 1923 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that defined the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma as the river's lower bank.
However, Texas officials argued that the lawsuit ignored the Red River Boundary Compact, an agreement between Texas and Oklahoma finalized in 1999 and approved by Congress in 2000, which established the modern boundary between the two states.
The lawsuit named multiple Texas landowners, including the State of Texas itself. Paxton, working alongside the Texas Department of Transportation and outside legal counsel, moved to dismiss the case.
"The full force of the law will come crashing down on anyone trying to seize Texas land," said Paxton in a statement. "I will always defend our state's sovereignty and will not allow erroneous theories to undermine Texas's land ownership."
"The Red River Rivalry may be famous on the football field, but I won't allow that term to extend to Oklahoma property owners unlawfully seizing Texas land in the courtroom," he concluded.
Paxton's office argued that the lawsuit was barred by sovereign immunity, meaning Texas cannot be sued in another state's courts without its consent. He also stated that the Oklahoma property owner's legal argument was based on outdated and incorrect interpretations of the boundary.
The court ultimately agreed, granting the motion to dismiss and removing the State of Texas from the lawsuit.
The ruling marks a significant victory for Texas officials, reinforcing established state boundaries and signaling that legal challenges to Texas land claims will face strong opposition from the state.
