Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Slammed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for Authorizing the Arrest, Return of Migrants to Border

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has slammed Texas Governor Greg Abbott for authorizing the arrest and transport of migrants to ports of entry on the border with Mexico.

Lopez Obrador said he would urge voters of Mexican origin in the U.S. not to vote for "anti-immigrant" candidates, according to Reuters.

The Mexican president described the migrant policy as "immoral" and intended to attract support ahead of the Texas November election. The Republican governor is running for re-election in the state.

Lopez Obrador told reporters at a regular morning news conference that if there is a candidate from a party that mistreats migrants and Mexicans, they are going to ask their countrymen not to vote for that candidate or party.

On Thursday, Abbott said he had authorized state officials and National Guardsmen to "apprehend" migrants and bring them to ports of entry on the border with Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has yet to comment on Abbott's statement.

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Guard referred questions to the Texas National Guard, which also has not issued a statement.

Migrant Policy of Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Greg Abbott has cleared state authorities to return migrants they arrested to the border, which could lead to a possible clash with the federal government over the authority to enforce immigration law.

The Texas governor signed a directive that gives the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety the authority to apprehend migrants who enter the U.S. unlawfully or "commit other violations of federal law."

CBS News reported that it also empowered state officials to return the migrants to ports of entry, which CBP, a federal agency, administers.

Abbott argued that the federal government has "abandoned" a provision in the Constitution tasking it with protecting states from an "invasion" after citing concerns about the Biden administration's handling of the record levels of migrant arrivals along the southern border over the past year.

His proclamation also cited state laws related to disaster responses and the power to task the military with law enforcement.

In a statement to CBS News, White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan criticized the other operations Greg Abbott has launched along the U.S.-Mexico border over the past year.

Hasan noted that the Texas governor's record on immigration does not give them confidence in what "he has cooked up now."

Texas Migrants Policy

Aaron Reichlin-Melnik, policy director for the American Immigration Council, said in a Texas Tribune report that Abbott is inviting a lawsuit from the Biden administration just as the Arizona legislature did over a decades ago.

He added that the order could also expose troopers and National Guard service members to a lawsuit from migrants.

Reichlin-Melnik noted that state authorities could only enforce immigration law if they had been allowed by the federal government.

As recently as April, he said Abbott had shown concern that issuing an "invasion" declaration could expose state authorities to federal prosecution.

The Republican governor's order does not explicitly declare an "invasion." However, it refers to the part of the U.S. Constitution its proponents have cited.

A group of leaders in South Texas has called on Greg Abbott to declare an "invasion" and start putting state resources toward expelling migrants.

Immigration rights groups have reportedly condemned migrants being referred to as an "invasion." They noted that the rhetoric is dangerous to Latino communities and was cited by the El Paso shooter who killed 23 people in 2019.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Gobernador De Texas Se Extralimitó Con Orden De Devolver a Migrantes Ilegales, Acusa López Obrador - From Excelsior TV