Biden Admin Responds to Push to Seize Texas National Guard From Greg Abbott

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to calls for President Joe Biden to seize the Texas National Guard amid his border battle with Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Some Democrats, including Texas Representative Joaquin Castro, have urged Biden to take Texas' National Guard under federal control if Abbott defies a Supreme Court order allowing federal agents to remove razor wire from a section of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Jean-Pierre responded to these calls during an interview on CNN Thursday morning.

"We want to make sure we get something done at the border. That's why we have been having these conversations with Senate Republicans and Democrats for the past several weeks to come up with a bipartisan agreement to deal with the border," she said.

She continued: "Look, if the governor is not interested in that—Governor Abbott is not interested in that, he wants to politicize an issue, and he's not helping communities, he actually isn't, and he's actually putting border patrol agents in harm's way by doing what he's doing. I'm not going to speak to any actions that the president might take, might not take, but we have been very clear about it."

Newsweek reached out to Abbott's office for comment via email.

Calls for Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard come amid a surge in tensions between Biden and Abbott over the U.S.-Mexico border. Abbott and other Republicans have blamed Biden's approach to immigration for an uptick in migrants seeking asylum at the border. Texas has constructed razor-wire along the border, prompting legal action from the Biden administration, which argued the state lacks the legal authority.

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing federal officials to cut down parts of the barrier, sparking anger from Republicans.

Abbott responded on Wednesday, writing in a letter that he believes the arrival of migrants at the Texas border constitutes an "invasion" of the state and, in response, invoked "Texas's constitutional authority to defend and protect itself." He argued this is the "supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary," accusing the federal government of breaking a "compact between the United States and the States."

Castro, who represents the San Antonio area, wrote in a post to X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday, "Governor Greg Abbott is using the Texas National Guard to obstruct and create chaos at the border. If Abbott is defying yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard now."

Other Democrats have joined calls for Biden to take control of the Texas National Guard.

"I agree with @JoaquinCastrotx: if Abbott is defying yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, @POTUS needs to establish sole federal control of the Texas National Guard," posted Representative Greg Casar, who represents areas near Austin and San Antonio.

Update 1/25/24, 9:23 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and to reflect that Newsweek reached out to Abbott's office for comment.