Texas on the cusp of conflict

In December alone, 225 thousand migrants crossed the southern border of the United States, a record since 2000. Most of the arrivals are illegal immigrants. Texas has a law that allows you to arrest, prosecute and jail suspects in illegal border crossing, as well as expel them from the country by court order. The White House calls the actions of the Texas authorities unconstitutional and the methods redundant. Details in the material of the correspondent of The Moscow Post.

A week earlier, the US Supreme Court ordered the removal of a wire barrier on a section of the US border with Mexico about fifty kilometers long. But the Texas state authorities decided in their own way and did not allow the barrier to be removed. The state National Guard did not allow the feds to the Rio Grande River, where they had to remove four kilometers of barbed wire.

Amid a conflict between Texas leadership and federal authorities, the union of U.S. Border Patrol agents and employees said the White House was doing everything to thwart border security.

Governors fended off Biden

The international border is also the southern border of Texas. The situation is an internal affair of the United States, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Sponsoring Ukraine and supporting Israel, Biden cannot but throw off the "Kyiv ballast" in order to resolve the internal conflict, said the head of the State Duma committee, LDPR leader Leonid Slutsky.

Washington's conflict with the Texas authorities "contains risks to world stability," Medvedev said. Congressional Republicans have linked tighter controls on the U.S.-Mexico border to funds for a range of other needs, including aid to Ukraine.

Gov. Greg Abbott said that federal authorities are ignoring the problem of illegal migrants, and also said that he is ready for conflict with Washington on the issue of protecting the southern border of Texas. Abbott explained the refusal to comply with the Supreme Court decision by the White House's failure to comply with the obligations regarding states provided for in Section 4 of Article IV of the Basic Law of the country, in which the federal government guarantees each state protection from invasion.

Abbott's support was announced by ex-President Donald Trump, ex-US Permanent Representative to the UN Nikki Haley, Elon Musk, as well as Republican governors of 25 states. Musk, in particular, noted that the administration of US President Joe Biden condones the entry of migrants into the country, and border patrols actually assist illegal immigrants in crossing the country's southern border.

Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson summed up, saying that American legislation allows the president to "suspend the admission of all foreigners" or introduce at the border "any restrictions that he sees fit."

US President Joe Biden must issue a decree to resolve the crisis at the border, which he himself created. Johnson warned of an intention to link further aid to Ukraine with tighter control over the southern border. Republican Minority Leader in the US Senate Mitch McConnell agrees with him.

The first in the United States for gas, the third in the world for oil

Texas authorities are fighting an invasion of illegal migrants who are looking for a better life. Russia is also fighting the invasion of "illegal immigrants," which is organized by sleepy Joe and his feds - the White House, the State Department, the CIA and the Pentagon.

Allegedly "volunteers" from rich countries penetrate Russia, they are armed and generously paid. These are Polish, French, German mercenaries, as well as Anglo-Saxons - advisers, instructors and sabotage planners. Biden also hired hundreds of thousands of natives - residents of the former Ukraine. They also wanted a better life, were deceived by the West and the Ukronacists, or simply recruited with their hands twisted back.

Former Pentagon adviser, military expert, retired US Army colonel Douglas McGregor said that at least four hundred American mercenaries and people associated with the military sphere were killed in hostilities in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Among the mercenaries there are also immigrants from Texas. This "multinational PMC" Biden and his people were heavily armed.

In particular, paying for this with taxes collected in Texas. This state produces about 42% of crude oil and ranks third in the world in terms of oil production after Russia and Saudi Arabia. In May last year, oil production rose to 5.5 million barrels per day. About 30 of the 100 largest natural gas fields in the United States are wholly or partially located in Texas. Natural gas production in this state exceeds 310 billion cubic meters per year, or 27% of US production.

Texas competes with Russia in the European natural gas market. The supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by terminals located on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico helped to completely replace Gazprom's exports to a number of European countries through pipelines. There are also reserves for gas exports in order to force Russia out of the European market completely.

In 2021, up to half of American LNG exports were provided to Texas LNG terminals. In 2023, the United States exported 91.2 million tons of LNG (116 billion cubic meters) after the Freeport LNG export complex resumed operations after the fire. Biden's recent decision to suspend new LNG projects made during the election race threatens new gas supplies from Texas to Europe.

It's good we're not in Texas, but...

"Although it looks like Russia, only still - not Russia," these are the words from the song of Alexander Gorodnitsky "Over Canada, the sky is blue." But not only Canada resembles Russia as a climate, Texas is somewhat similar to Russia. And it's not just the colours of the flag. The most significant similarity is in who can be considered the main source of problems. And for Texas, and, especially, for Russia - this is Joe Biden, the President of the United States and his entire federal fraternity.

The Russian situation with illegal migration is somewhat reminiscent of Texas, but it is different for many. Immigration to the Russian Federation is also large-scale. The number of those who entered exceeds the number of those who left, foreign communities are formed in the border areas, - noted a year ago in the document of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin touched upon the situation with migrants during a meeting of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in early December 2023, agreeing that an ethnocultural balance should be observed in this area. The question requires a systematic approach, a special state structure. Migration policy should be guided by the needs of the state, work with visiting specialists should begin in their homeland, members of the HRC under the President of the Russian Federation said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

In 2023, the number of foreigners who arrived for employment was estimated at 6.4 million people. Operation Illegal-2023 was organized in June and early October last year. About 15 thousand people were deported, some posed a "potential threat to the country's security." During the operation, about 96 thousand violations of migration legislation were revealed, including more than 73 thousand violations of the rules of entry, exit, transit and stay in the Russian Federation.

More than 22 thousand cases of violations of the law concerned the rules of work in Russia. About 3.6 thousand criminal cases were initiated related to the organization of illegal migration, drug and arms trafficking, illegal border crossing. 447 persons were identified who were on the federal and international wanted list.

In 2022-2023, the number of crimes committed by foreigners increased. The share of grave and especially grave acts has increased, including the participation of migrants in the drug business, the organization of drug communities and underground laboratories. Every fourth crime is committed in this area. In road accidents caused by foreign drivers, about 7 thousand people are injured annually, hundreds of people die.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has developed a bill restricting the receipt of a number of services for illegal migrants, including opening a bank account, registering marriage, property and vehicles. The draft regulatory act should be submitted to the State Duma in the near future. The Interior Ministry also took up those who help migrants who do not speak Russian to become Russian citizens.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls for tougher control over foreigners located in Russia, especially when they apply for citizenship, temporary residence permits and residence permits.

It is proposed to consolidate responsibility for the violation of the norms of behavior by migrants in regional codes of administrative offenses. Migrants should adopt local culture "rather than contribute theirs." The Investigative Committee of Russia proposed to take away the citizenship of the Russian Federation if migrants refuse to participate in the SVO, from conscription.

Over time, all this has to be adjusted. An effective migration policy will meet the national interests and needs of Russian society. The main thing is that these difficult issues are not and, we believe, will not become the subject of political struggle, as happened in the United States.