For Immediate Release   
Contact: Dan Gordon, 617-651-0841  
July 7, 2022 

Abbott’s Immigration Enforcement Order May Violate Federal Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order that authorizes state authorities, including National Guard units, to apprehend unauthorized immigrants and return them to ports of entry at the border.

The following is a statement from Laurence Benenson, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the National Immigration Forum:

"Governor Abbott’s order violates the longstanding legal precedent that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. This order will likely be challenged in the courts.

"We can agree that we need more orderly processes at the border. This isn’t one. The task of enacting immigration enforcement and removal policies belongs exclusively with the federal government."

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