Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s use of state resources for political posturing on immigration, no doubt to feed his long-standing ambitions for federal office, has always been dangerous and counterproductive.
His Operation Lone Star, which drew on various states’ law enforcement and National Guard units to patrol the border, was an operational and legal disaster, apparently resulting in the suicide of some soldiers and being ruled unconstitutional by a Texas judge for usurping a federal government function.
Rather than reevaluating his penchant for stunts, Abbott last week doubled down, sending state law enforcement to conduct redundant checks of commercial vehicles traveling north from Mexico, something the federal Customs and Border Protection already does with much more competence. The operation slowed cross-border traffic to a crawl, and even a brief standstill as Mexican truck drivers blockaded various ports of entry in protest of the massive delays Abbott caused. Friday, after condemnation rained down, he pulled the plug, claiming victory.
