The legal and political showdown between Texas and the Biden administration only intensified this week. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal officials could remove razor wire put in place to stop illegal migrants, but it stopped far short of prohibiting installing such barriers.

This led to Texas Border Czar Mike Banks meeting with ranchers near Eagle Pass on Wednesday.

He told the outraged gathering that the state will install razor wire on their private property free if they wish. The crowded meeting was filled with citizens worried about the massive influx of unvetted illegals crossing the border near their homes.

Razor wire has become a dominant feature along the Rio Grande to stem the deluge of migrants. And Eagle Pass is flirting with ground zero status as it is now the second busiest crossing point from Mexico.

The town has only 28,000 residents, but it is flooded with thousands of illegals from all corners of the globe. This of course alarmed residents, who sought state intervention when pleas to Washington for assistance fell on deaf ears.

Two weeks ago, Texas took control of Shelby Park. This Eagle Pass area is notorious for masses of migrants rushing in to claim asylum and gain their release into the interior of the country.

No he is not. The Supreme Court ruled that the federal government could not be enjoined from cutting the razor wire, not that Texas had done something illegal in erecting the razor wire. As always, Beto has no idea what he's talking about. https://t.co/UreTyqGv4G

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 25, 2024

Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered that Border Patrol agents be removed from the park. This enraged the Biden White House and led to an emergency appeal to the high court. 

This week’s ruling clearly did not prohibit Texas officials from installing more wire even as it allowed Border Patrol agents to remove it. 

To Abbott and his supporters, this means the state is free to erect more fencing to protect its citizens. He called the wire “an effective deterrent against the illegal border crossings encouraged by Biden’s open border policies.”

The governor vowed to continue putting the strands in place to turn back illegal migrants. His social media posting showed Texas National Guard troops unrolling more razor wire for installation.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) weighed in on the controversy by urging the state to brush off the Supreme Court ruling.

A federal agent told Business Insider that the state is free to install all of the wire it wants. “If they put up wire, that’s fine. If it interferes with federal law enforcement’s ability to do its job, that’s when there’s an issue.”