It’s unclear whether Abbott has the authority to build a wall on his state’s southern border, according to NBC News. While some of the land is owned by the federal and state governments, much is also private property, which was an obstacle that former President Donald Trump faced in his efforts to construct a wall.
Nevertheless, Abbott said that action is needed to solve what he called a humanitarian crisis in the state. In recent months the flow of migrants across the U.S. border has risen sharply, according to U.S. News & World Report.
