DADADEL
Texas must move a floating barrier that Governor Greg Abbott installed on the U.S.-Mexico border this summer. This decision is part of his heightened efforts to block migrants from crossing. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the buoys, located on the Rio Grande, pose threats to safety and diplomatic relations.
U.S. District Judge David Ezra stopped short of ordering the complete removal of the massive buoys but mandated that Texas move them out of the water to the riverbank by September 15. His injunction highlights the potential safety risks and damage to U.S.-Mexico relations.
Ezra also questioned Texas’ argument that the floating barrier significantly reduced illegal immigration. He stated that the state failed to present any convincing evidence to support the claim.
The U.S. Department of Justice filed the lawsuit challenging Texas’ barrier, marking a rare move by President Joe Biden’s administration to oppose the state’s border control measures in court.
In response, Texas officials announced plans to appeal the ruling. Governor Abbott expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the federal government has failed to secure the border, leaving Texas to take its own measures.
Governor Abbott’s border tactics have been increasingly aggressive since last year. His multibillion-dollar Operation Lone Star includes the floating buoys, razor-wire fencing, and arrests of migrants on trespassing charges.
Judge Ezra, appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, dismissed Texas’ argument that its actions were justified. He criticized the notion that Texas can act without oversight by claiming an “invasion.”
The Justice Department argued that Texas placed the buoys along the international border without authorization. The Biden administration also raised concerns about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the barrier.
Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta expressed satisfaction with the court’s ruling, which recognized the barrier as a threat to public safety, international relations, and navigation.
Texas installed the floating barrier near Eagle Pass by anchoring it in the riverbed. This region has seen a large number of migrant crossings, though fewer than in previous years.
The Biden administration has reported that illegal border crossings have declined since new immigration regulations took effect in May, following the expiration of pandemic-related asylum policies.
The floating barrier was part of broader border security plans initiated under former President Donald Trump. According to Mark Morgan, a former acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the project was initially planned in 2020 but scrapped when Biden took office.
*Featured Photo Credits: AP Photo/ Eric Gay
