Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference on March 10, 2022, in Weslaco, Texas. The leaders of the sparsely populated counties near the border with Mexico complain that they have been overrun by smuggling attempts and increasing numbers of migrants evading detection. 1070 or “show me your papers” law, passed by the Arizona legislature, affirming that states cannot enforce their own immigration laws. With each new step, Abbott is attempting to blur the lines between federal and state authority. The wording of Thursday’s executive order is vague about what “returning migrants to the border” means for soldiers and troopers who apprehend them.
