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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.
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
Robert G. Natelson, a former constitutional law professor, is Senior Fellow in Constitutional Jurisprudence at the Mountain States Policy Center and the Independence Institute. He authored “The Original Constitution” (4th ed., 2025) and is a contributor to the Heritage Foundation’s “Heritage Guide to the Constitution.”