Texas AG, Ken Paxton Does a U-turn on Covid as the Federal Government Sues Texas

Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney GeneralSAH

It's not an unusual position for the current Texas Attorney General to find himself in. Facing disbarment for his December 2020 petition to the U.S. Supreme Court - described as frivolous and unethical - arguing that President Biden's victory should be set aside, Paxton has backed away from Trump's fraud claims in an attempt to rescue his legal career. He's just done the same with Covid.

It’s called convenience politics, suddenly paying attention to something or highlighting it, when you have otherwise chosen to ignore it. In the case of both Ken Paxton and Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, they made a conscious decision months ago to downplay the risks posed by a pandemic that has not yet run its course.

That was, up until the point that Covid offered a use they had not previously considered. How better, to prey on the fear of those concerned about the disease and migration issues, than to associate Covid’s spread with the influx of migrants crossing Texas’ southern border. A creative way to politically weaponize the pandemic for a new purpose.

The political maneuvering that followed to realign earlier policies on Covid has been nothing short of breathtaking. In a question of a few weeks, illegal migrants have now been painted as threatening the very health and soul of all Texas as they continue to spread Covid across the state. Hispanics are being targeted and they can be detained on sight.

This is of course nothing more than creative politics on behalf of both Abbott and Paxton. 

There is no documented evidence to support their theory that immigrants are exposing Texas to another wave of Covid. Also, based on the last six months worth of rhetoric from both politicians, they're now crying wolf about a pandemic they claimed wasn't a big deal. It's the political U-Turn of the decade and this is why.

Mobilizing Texas against illegal migrants

In the last few hours, Joe Biden and the Federal government have served notice on Texas. In particular, they are seeking to stop Greg Abbott’s policy of detaining immigrants crossing the Texas border. The pretense for arresting and incarcerating the immigrants is trespassing, property damage and yes, you guessed it, Covid.

Ken Paxton has just issued a very strong statement in response to the Federal government's suit. 

Statement from Texas AG, Ken PaxtonTwitter

The Feds case just so happens in this instance to be about immigration, but the Federal government has a long list of potential actions it is considering as Texas under the guiding hand of Governor Abbott has continued to flaunt Federal guidelines and challenge legal frameworks that govern America. His message is a clear one, echoed by Paxton in the message above.

Texas will do pretty much as Texas pleases and no one, particularly a Democratic-led government, is going to dictate terms to Texas.

Abortion, voting rights, education, race law, and other discriminatory policies put in place in recent months in Texas have offered Americans a glimpse of what the US may have looked like, had Democrats not won the last election. Governor Abbott also took to Twitter to express his opinion on the federal suit.

It is perhaps at this point, the only play the Republican-led Texas House has at its disposal. The rest of America might even have considered it a legitimate play, but for a state that has mandated that no masks should be worn as Covid does not pose a grave risk, to suddenly want to arrest thousands who "may be infected" just doesn't wash. No matter how you spin it.

Here is where the Governors focus should be right now. It's a real and growing crisis across Texas that will cost more Texans their lives. and has absolutely nothing to do with migrants. It's a pandemic that never ended, and Texas is headed for trouble.

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