Texas Ordered by Judge to Remove Floating Border Barriers, Granting Request of Biden Administration

Federal Judge Orders Texas to Remove River Barriers Along U.S.-Mexico Border

A federal judge in Austin has ruled that Texas must remove river barriers that were erected along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border to repel migrants. The judge’s decision is seen as an early victory for the Biden administration in its lawsuit against the barriers approved by Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary injunction, directing Texas officials to remove the floating border barriers from the middle of the Rio Grande by September 15th, at the state’s own expense. He also prohibited the state from setting up similar structures in the future.

In his opinion, Judge Ezra found that the barriers obstructed free navigation in the Rio Grande, which violates a longstanding law governing waterways controlled by the federal government. He concluded that Texas needed permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place the barriers in the river.

The Biden administration filed its lawsuit against the barriers in late July, arguing that Texas needed permission from the federal government to set up the buoys, and that the state had failed to acquire it. The administration also claimed that the structures impeded Border Patrol agents from patrolling the border, endangered migrants, and hurt U.S.-Mexico relations.

Judge Ezra agreed with the administration’s arguments, stating that Texas’s conduct irreparably harms public safety, navigation, and the operations of federal agency officials in and around the Rio Grande.

Texas plans to appeal the ruling, with Governor Abbott’s office stating that the decision prolongs President Biden’s refusal to acknowledge Texas’s efforts to secure the border. The state argues that the ruling is incorrect and will be overturned on appeal.

The legal battle over the river barriers is the latest point of contention between the Biden administration and Governor Abbott. Abbott has accused the federal government of not doing enough to deter migrants from crossing the southern border illegally. In response, Texas has implemented measures such as using razor wire and arresting migrants on state trespassing charges.

The removal of the river barriers comes after a joint U.S.-Mexico survey revealed that approximately 80% of the barriers had been set up in Mexican territory. Mexico’s government has strongly criticized the buoys, claiming that they violate the country’s sovereignty.

While Texas officials argue that the barriers are meant to discourage unlawful and unsafe border crossings, human rights activists, Democratic lawmakers, and a Texas state medic have raised concerns about the structures forcing migrants to swim across deeper parts of the Rio Grande, increasing the risk of drowning.

The legal battle over the river barriers continues to highlight the ongoing political feud between the Biden administration and Governor Abbott. Meanwhile, large Democratic-led cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver are struggling to house the influx of migrants being bussed from the southern border as part of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star initiative.

Original Story at www.cbsnews.com – 2023-09-07 00:13:00