The above title reflects the current U.S. unrest directly stirred up by its illegal immigrant problem. The following headlines give us a glimpse of the problem and its seriousness. For example, 1. Texas Governor Greg Abbott vowed to add more razor wire along the border; 2. A divided Supreme Court allows Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border; 3. On April 1, the cost of the naturalization application will increase as much as 19%; 4. Immigrants overwhelmingly say they face discrimination and challenges; 5. Congress has failed to agree on how to address immigration challenges; 6. Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill making illegal immigration a state crime; 7. Attorney General Ken Paxton Leads Coalition of 15 Attorneys General Opposing Biden-Senate Border Bill; 8. Texas' new illegal entry law will test states' powers; 9. Texas’ refusal to allow Border Patrol agents into a park along the U.S.-Mexico border is a new marker in the state’s deepening rift with the Biden administration over immigration; 10. In March 2023, state representative Bryan Slaton introduced a bill to add a referendum on independence to the 2024 US election ballot; 11. In December 2023, the Texas Nationalist Movement claimed that it collected enough signatures under the petition to include a question on secession on the ballot in 2024. These recent developments prompted the “Divorce America” voice based on a legacy Texas spirit of seeking independence through secession for its state constitutional rights.
History of Texas State
Texas of course was populated by natives more than 10,000 years ago evidenced by the discovery of remains of a prehistoric human body. The first arrivals of immigrants were Spanish in 1519. In the recorded history of Texas, all or parts of it have been claimed through different times by France (1643-1687), Spain (1690-1821), Mexico (1821-1836), Republic of Texas (Independence 1836-1846), the Confederacy during Civil war (1861-1865) and the U.S. (1847-1861 and Lost Cause, Republic of Texas Organization, #Texit, and Texas Nationalist Movement, and Republican Party endorsed Referendum, 1866-present). The above-condensed history of Texas illustrated one main point, that is, Texas joined the U.S. as an independent nation, different from other states in the United States. Hence, Texas maintained its legacy as an independent state with its state constitution reflecting that spirit. In addition, its secession history also cultivated an independent Texas culture longing for independence especially when Texans felt any suppression of their rights, like the problem caused by a flood of illegal immigrants. Hence it is understandable, that today there exists people promoting #Texit (after Brexit 2016) and independence through referendum.
The geography of Texas is unique, being the second largest state in land and population in the U.S., occupying about 7% of the total water and land area of the U.S. Geographically, Texas encompasses plains, forests, lakes, and mountains with climates ranging from wet coastal areas to dry and barren deserts. The state has a significant amount of oil and natural gas reserves, both on dry land and in the Gulf of Mexico. The GDP of Texas state is over $2.356 trillion, ranked second to California, $3.6 trillion and higher than that of New York, $2.053 Trillion, a figure larger than that of most developed nations except China (China ranked number 2 in the world and Texas ranked 8th in the world). Texas is the leading U.S. producer of oil and natural gas. Many of the state’s manufacturing companies are located along the Gulf Coast near gas and oil resources. Texas also leads the country in cattle and cotton production and is home to more farmland, sheep, and lambs than any other state. Texas is in the south-central region of the U.S. continent with Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico as its southern border. If Texas were an independent nation, it would only have two neighbors, one the U.S. and the other Mexico but with easy ocean access to mid- and South America and Eastern parts of the U.S.
The illegal immigrant problem, of course, originated from Mexico with which Texas maintains 1,254 miles of border, about half of the U.S.-Mexico border. The large influx of illegal immigrants from the border into Texas naturally creates a social and economic burden on Texas. Biden's Administration (Democrat) compared to Trump's Administration (Republican) is too lenient with illegal immigrants. In addition, there is illegal drug smuggling from Mexico to the U.S. as well. Therefore, it is understandable that the state of Texas must strengthen its state law to deal with the illegal immigrant and drug smuggling issues. When Texas started to build the razor-loaded border fences, it triggered the controversy of human rights versus illegal human trafficking. The clash of state law and federal law on border control is now dividing the nation in opposition. Texas state has strengthened its state law making illegal immigration a state crime. Fourteen states (Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming) supported Texas in strengthening its border control. Under this atmosphere, it is no surprise that #Texit and the national independence movement in Texas are roaring their voices.
Will Texas State go through "Divorce America"?
If one recalls the history of the Civil War over the issue of slavery, one may find some asymmetry reasoning with the illegal immigrant issue. Before the Civil War, the U.S. imported slaves to work on the farms as cheap productive labor. The South states with more farmers and farms needed slaves. They accepted the slaves and provided them shelter and food but the northern states with fewer farms did not need slaves but skilled factory workers. The North took a high moral position advocating abandoning slavery. The North and South clashed leading to the civil war. Today, farms are highly automated with labor needs to be limited to more seasonal to hand-picked harvesting tasks, Hence the South would not need so many laborers especially illegal ones requiring social benefits. On the other hand, the nation especially the North with a shortage of low-skilled labor would not mind the flood of illegal immigrants seeping through the southern states and their borders. Immigrants do bring the labor cost down in certain service industries. Will this situation lead Texas to divorce America? Will the nation have a civil war? Texas might be better off as an independent nation with GPD ranked in the top ten of the world, provided the U.S. would be willing to be a nice neighbor.