Texas Gov. Abbott comments in post on X

Texas Gov. Abbott comments in post on X

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas has provided an update on the state's ongoing response to severe flooding that has impacted numerous communities. The flooding, which has resulted in at least 91 fatalities, has prompted Abbott to take several measures to support emergency management personnel and local officials.

On July 7, 2025, Abbott announced that additional state emergency response resources have been activated. Over 1,750 personnel and more than 975 vehicles and equipment assets have been deployed to assist in recovery and rescue operations. Various state agencies, including the Texas Division of Emergency Management, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, have been mobilized to provide support [2].

Abbott emphasized that the State of Texas Incident Management Team is supporting deployed emergency response resources across the state, and regional field staff remain in contact with local officials. The Texas State Operations Center (SOC) remains at Level II (Escalated Response) to support requests for assistance from local officials [2].

The governor also directed state agencies to monitor river conditions, power outages, and air/water/wastewater quality. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Texas Department of Insurance are providing assistance with law enforcement coordination and flood-related insurance claims. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is coordinating with regulated industries and licensed professionals involved in response and recovery operations [2].

Abbott has obtained approval from President Trump on federal disaster assistance as part of a Major Disaster Declaration. He has also amended the state’s disaster declaration to include additional impacted counties and provided an update on the state’s emergency response in affected areas. The governor continues to monitor the situation and has increased the readiness level of the Texas SOC to Level II (Escalated Response) [2].

In a separate development, a divided federal appeals court has ruled that Texas authorities may not enforce a Republican-backed state law that would let them arrest and prosecute people suspected of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a preliminary injunction that blocked enforcement of the disputed law, which former Democratic President Joe Biden's administration had challenged [1].

The ruling, which was supported by a 2-1 panel of judges, stated that the power to control immigration is exclusively a federal power. The court cited a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down parts of an Arizona immigration law. The dissenting judge, however, argued that the majority treated as irrelevant that President Trump has been encouraging states to aid his administration's efforts to ramp up immigration enforcement [1].

Abbott's response to the flooding and the court's ruling on the immigration law indicate the governor's commitment to addressing both natural disasters and immigration issues. As the situation evolves, Abbott's actions will continue to shape the state's response and recovery efforts.

References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/divided-us-appeals-court-blocks-enforcement-texas-state-immigration-law-2025-07-04/
[2] https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-provides-update-on-texas-continued-response-to-texas-flooding