Judge orders Texas to remove floating barriers aimed at discouraging migrants

quote:

---

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott and the state of Texas must remove — at least temporarily — the buoys placed in the Rio Grande as part of the state's effort to control the border with Mexico, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, marking a win for the Biden administration.

In his 42-page order, Senior U.S. Judge David Alan Ezra said he made the ruling after deciding that the U.S. Justice Department will "likely succeed on the merits" in the lawsuit it filed against Abbott and the state in July.

"Texas’s floating barrier is an obstruction to the navigable capacity of the Rio Grande River and required authorization from Congress," Senior U.S. Judge David Alan Ezra says in his order.

---

quote:

---

The governor ordered the 1,000-foot string of oversized orange floating devices placed in the international river near Eagle Pass ostensibly to help discourage migrants from entering Texas without legal authorization and to combat cross-border drug trafficking.

In a statement Wednesday, Abbott said the state will appeal the ruling.

"Today's court decision merely prolongs President Biden’s willful refusal to acknowledge that Texas is rightfully stepping up to do the job that he should have been doing all along," the governor said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "This ruling is incorrect and will be overturned on appeal."

---

quote:

---

In challenging Texas’ use of the buoys, the Justice Department accused the state of putting a barrier on the international boundary without permission. The Biden administration also said the water barrier raised humanitarian and environmental concerns.

“We are pleased that the court ruled that the barrier was unlawful and irreparably harms diplomatic relations, public safety, navigation, and the operations of federal agency officials in and around the Rio Grande,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement.

---