A narrative that a “civil war” or “cold war” between federal law enforcement officers and their state and local counterparts at the southern border in Texas – which has been circulating among a range of pundits – isn’t valid, Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Border Patrol union argue.

The claim refers to a potential conflict between federal Border Patrol agents and Texas National Guard soldiers serving at the southern border. The Biden administration has ordered Border Patrol agents to tear down border barriers erected by Texas and release illegal foreign nationals into the U.S. Abbott has ordered Texas National Guard soldiers to block illegal entry by building even more barriers. ...

When asked at a news event earlier this month about the civil war rhetoric or worries about actions leading “to some kind of armed conflict,” Abbott replied, “That’s a false narrative. And that’s really nothing more than a narrative.”