Texas GOP Draws the Line on States’ Border Defense Rights

Today, Texas GOP Caucus Chairman and Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) announced support for a resolution backing states’ constitutional right to defend themselves when the federal government does not secure the border.

The resolution, introduced by House Budget Chairman and Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX) in January of 2025, says states have the constitutional right, under Article I, Section 10, to protect their borders and residents from invasion or imminent threats.

Just days after the Department of Homeland Security’s shutdown ended without funding for immigration enforcement agencies, the Texas GOP is urging Congress to ensure states are never forced to endure the consequences of federal failure.

“The Framers understood that a state cannot be left at the mercy of a federal government that refuses to do its job when there’s an invasion at its border,” Chairman Moran said. “That's why Article I, Section 10 exists.”

The Texas GOP Caucus claimed the Biden administration allowed millions of “illegal immigrants” into the country, causing “cartel activity and drug trafficking” to spike.

According to the group, the federal government actively obstructed Texas’s efforts to secure its own border and defend its citizens at this time—something Rep. Arrington believes should never happen again.

“We’ve seen the consequences of a federal government that abdicates its first and most important responsibility – providing for the common defense – and, if the past is prologue, we know exactly what we can expect from future Democrat administrations that want to take us back,” Rep. Arrington said.

Under President Trump’s leadership, the caucus said illegal border crossing has “plummeted to historic lows,” a trend Rep. Moran said will continue with this resolution.

“H.Res.50 affirms what the Constitution already guarantees: states have every right to defend its citizens,” Chairman Moran said. “The Texas GOP Caucus is united in ensuring that right is recognized and preserved.”

Rep. Arrington said this resolution is an opportunity for Congress to strengthen states’ right to respond to border security threats.

“The Texas GOP Caucus is united in calling on Congress to meet this moment with the urgency it demands to ensure that states like Texas are never again forced to be passive victims of a failed federal government,” Rep. Arrington said.