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The Myth That States Can’t Defend Against Illegal Immigration

The most insulting of critics accuse Texas of trying to “nullify” federal law—implicitly comparing their conduct to that of pre-Civil War slave states.
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The Myth That States Can’t Defend Against Illegal Immigration
Illegal immigrants pass through coils of razor wire while crossing the U.S.–Mexico border in El Paso, Texas, on March 13, 2024. John Moore/Getty Images
Rob Natelson
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Commentary

Texas authorities trying to defend their state against illegal immigration are being met with howls of outrage.

Rob Natelson
Rob Natelson
Author
Robert G. Natelson, a former constitutional law professor who is senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at the Independence Institute in Denver, authored “The Original Constitution: What It Actually Said and Meant” (3rd ed., 2015). He is a contributor to The Heritage Foundation’s “Heritage Guide to the Constitution.”