Standoff at Border Continues Between State, Feds

C APITAL Highlights 

A standoff at an Eagle Pass park continues as the Department of Homeland Security has sent a second letter to Gov. Greg Abbott demanding access to the Rio Grande park that is now under state control.

Abbott contends the state has the right to defend itself from what he called “recordsmashing levels of illegal immigration,” The Dallas Morning News reported. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that the Border Patrol can resume cutting or removing razor wire that the state installed to deter migrants.

Citing that ruling, DHS sent a second letter demanding the state give Border Patrol agents “full access to the Shelby Park area currently obstructed by Texas.”

A DPS spokesman said the state is installing more razor wire along the riverbank. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, has urged President Joe Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard if the state defies the Supreme Court ruling.

Judge Rejects Paxton’s Motion to Block Deposition 

A Travis County judge again blocked a motion by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to stop a deposition in a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by former top aides in his office, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The deposition is scheduled for Feb. 1. The four aides went to the FBI to complain about the embattled attorney general’s actions in helping developer Nate Paul. The aides were subsequently fired and filed suit in 2020.

Earlier in January, Paxton tried to end the matter by saying he would no longer contest the facts of the case and accept whatever judgment the court handed down, though he continued to deny any wrongdoing. He condemned the judge’s latest ruling, saying Travis County Judge Jan Soifer was “recklessly disregarding legal precedent, abusing the litigation system, and displaying shocking bias.” Before Paxton filed his latest motion attempting to avoid testifying, both the state 3rd Court of Appeals and the Texas Supreme Court rejected his earlier appeals. Meanwhile, four months after the Senate voted to acquit Paxton in his impeachment trial, which stemmed from an investigation into a proposed settlement of the whistleblower lawsuit, a senator that voted to acquit is accusing Paxton of possibly misleading the Senate during that trial. He urged the Senate to consider reopening the Paxton’s impeachment.

State Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, said Paxton’s decision not to contest the facts of the whistleblower lawsuit point to his culpability. Paxton “cannot admit guilt while claiming innocence,” Springer wrote in a post on X. Springer had previous announced plans to retire from the Senate.