A judge orders Texas to move a floating barrier used to deter migrants
1 year, 3 months ago

A judge orders Texas to move a floating barrier used to deter migrants

LA Times  

A kayaker walks past large buoys being used as a floating border barrier on the Rio Grande on Aug. 1, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Texas to move a large floating barrier to the bank of the Rio Grande after protests from the the U.S. and Mexican governments over Republican Gov. The decision by U.S. District Judge David Ezra is a victory for President Biden’s administration, which sued after Texas put the wrecking-ball-size buoys on the water in early July as part of a sprawling border security mission known as Operation Lone Star. “The State of Texas did not present any credible evidence that the buoy barrier as installed has significantly curtailed illegal immigration across the Rio Grande River,” Ezra wrote.

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History of this topic

Texas’ floating barrier in the Rio Grande can stay for now, appeals court says
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Texas’ floating barrier in the Rio Grande can stay for now, appeals court says

Raw Story  

"Texas’ floating barrier in the Rio Grande can stay for now, appeals court says" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled that the floating barrier Texas deployed in the …

Texas’ floating Rio Grande barrier can stay for now, court rules as larger legal battle persists
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Texas’ floating Rio Grande barrier can stay for now, court rules as larger legal battle persists

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — A floating barrier in the Rio Grande meant to discourage migrants from trying to cross from Mexico into Texas can stay for now, a full federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The ruling is the latest development in a standoff between Texas and President Joe Biden’s administration over immigration on the state’s 1,200-mile border with Mexico. The broader …

Texas will build camp for National Guard members in border city of Eagle Pass
10 months, 1 week ago

Texas will build camp for National Guard members in border city of Eagle Pass

Associated Press  

McALLEN, Texas — Texas will build an operations base for up to 1,800 National Guard members in Eagle Pass, expanding the presence of soldiers in the border city where the state has clashed with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement, Republican Gov. The 80-acre property along the Rio Grande will open a short distance from Shelby Park, the riverfront area …

Judge skeptical about Texas law that lets police arrest migrants over illegal entry
10 months, 1 week ago

Judge skeptical about Texas law that lets police arrest migrants over illegal entry

LA Times  

People wait to be processed by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in Eagle Pass, Texas, after they crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico. A federal judge on Thursday voiced concerns over a Texas law that would give police broad authority to arrest migrants on charges of illegal entry starting in March, saying it would be a “nightmare” if the …

Small Texas border city lands unsolicited spotlight in state-federal showdown over border security
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Small Texas border city lands unsolicited spotlight in state-federal showdown over border security

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As a ceremony with the …

How a small Texas city landed in the spotlight during the state-federal clash over border security
10 months, 3 weeks ago

How a small Texas city landed in the spotlight during the state-federal clash over border security

Associated Press  

EAGLE PASS, Texas — There are razor wire fences, a barrier of shipping containers along the Rio Grande and patrols of Texas National Guard. “But when it’s a little too fast, it’s little bit hard for the community to be able to keep up.” On Friday, there were no migrants to be found on the grassy fields of Shelby Park …

Texas Dismisses Fed’s Demand For Full Border Access After Migrant Drownings
11 months ago

Texas Dismisses Fed’s Demand For Full Border Access After Migrant Drownings

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Texas has dismissed an order by the Biden administration to allow federal agents full access to a park that was seized by the state along the U.S.-Mexico border last week where three migrants later drowned. In a letter sent to the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, Texas’ attorney general squarely blamed the federal government for the …

Texas arrests migrants at border park, defying Biden order to stop blocking Border Patrol
11 months, 1 week ago

Texas arrests migrants at border park, defying Biden order to stop blocking Border Patrol

LA Times  

The Texas National Guard continued blocking U.S. Border Patrol agents’ access to the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass after the federal government’s deadline Wednesday night. Gen. Ken Paxton that said the state had until Wednesday night to stop blocking Border Patrol agents from having full access to the Shelby Park area or it would refer the matter to the Justice …

Texas’ floating barrier between US and Mexico can stay for now, court rules in reversal
11 months, 1 week ago

Texas’ floating barrier between US and Mexico can stay for now, court rules in reversal

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed an order requiring Texas to move a floating barrier on the Rio Grande that drew backlash from Mexico — the latest development in legal battles between the Biden administration and Texas Republican Gov. The state installed it along the international border with Mexico between the Texas border city of Eagle …

The Biden administration escalates its border dispute with Texas after 3 migrants drown
11 months, 1 week ago

The Biden administration escalates its border dispute with Texas after 3 migrants drown

Associated Press  

McALLEN, Texas — The drowning deaths of three migrants have brought new urgency to an extraordinary showdown between the Biden administration and Texas Republican Gov. The Department of Justice filed a new request late Monday with the Supreme Court to grant federal agents access to a portion of the border along the Rio Grande that is occupied by the Texas …

Texas has arrested thousands on trespassing charges at the border. Illegal crossings are still high
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Texas has arrested thousands on trespassing charges at the border. Illegal crossings are still high

Associated Press  

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Before settling in New York City like thousands of other migrants this year, Abdoul, a 32-year-old from West Africa, took an unexpected detour: Weeks in a remote Texas jail on local trespassing charges after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Since 2021, Texas authorities have arrested nearly 10,000 migrants on misdemeanor trespassing charges under what Abbott has called …

Court orders Texas to move floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from Mexico
1 year ago

Court orders Texas to move floating buoy barrier that drew backlash from Mexico

Associated Press  

McALLEN, Texas — Texas must move a floating barrier on the Rio Grande that drew backlash from Mexico, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, dealing a blow to one of Republican Gov. The Biden administration sued Abbott over the linked and anchored buoys — which stretch roughly the length of three soccer fields — after the state installed the barrier …

Texas asks appeal judges to let it keep floating barrier in place on the Rio Grande
1 year, 2 months ago

Texas asks appeal judges to let it keep floating barrier in place on the Rio Grande

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — Texas attorneys asked federal appeals court judges Thursday to let the state keep large concrete-anchored buoys in place to block migrants from crossing the Rio Grande — a floating barrier that the Biden administration says was illegally deployed without required federal authorization. She said the Biden administration asserted that it is in order “to enjoin the state …

More Bodies Pulled From Rio Grande, Including 3-Year-Old, As Migrant Crossings Rise
1 year, 3 months ago

More Bodies Pulled From Rio Grande, Including 3-Year-Old, As Migrant Crossings Rise

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Three bodies have been pulled from the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border this week, including that of a 3-year-old boy, as state and border patrol officials erect dangerous obstacles to prevent migrant crossings that have reportedly neared record levels this month. DPS spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez, in a statement posted online, said the child’s death was …

Court order allows Texas’ floating barrier on US-Mexico border to remain in place for now
1 year, 3 months ago

Court order allows Texas’ floating barrier on US-Mexico border to remain in place for now

Associated Press  

NEW ORLEANS — A federal appeals court on Thursday allowed Texas’ floating barrier on a section of the Rio Grande to stay in place for now, a day after a judge called the buoys a threat to the safety of migrants and relations between the U.S. and Mexico. The lawsuit was brought by the Justice Department in a rare instance …

Appeals court pauses order to remove Texas buoy barrier: report
1 year, 3 months ago

Appeals court pauses order to remove Texas buoy barrier: report

Raw Story  

A federal appeals court on Thursday issued a temporary stay halting a previous judge’s order to remove a controversial buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, Politico reports. Lawyers representing Texas on Thursday in “emergency” court filings argued that removing the barriers would cause irreparable harm. They wrote: “The United States failed to defend Texas’s borders, leading to millions of individuals …

Federal appeals court says Texas’ floating barriers can remain in Rio Grande for now
1 year, 3 months ago

Federal appeals court says Texas’ floating barriers can remain in Rio Grande for now

CNN  

CNN — The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay Thursday night allowing the state of Texas to keep floating barriers in the Rio Grande. “Governor Abbott announced that he was not ‘asking for permission’ for Operation Lone Star, the anti-immigration program under which Texas constructed the floating barrier. The judge also found Texas’ self-defense argument – …

A judge orders Texas to move a floating barrier that’s used to deter migrants between US and Mexico
1 year, 3 months ago

A judge orders Texas to move a floating barrier that’s used to deter migrants between US and Mexico

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas must move a large floating barrier that Gov. Ezra also cast doubt on Texas’ rationale for the barrier, writing that the state produced no “credible evidence that the buoy barrier as installed has significantly curtailed illegal immigration.” The lawsuit was brought by the Justice Department in a rare instance of President Joe Biden’s administration going to …

Greg Abbott’s floating border barrier did virtually nothing to slow immigration, data shows
1 year, 3 months ago

Greg Abbott’s floating border barrier did virtually nothing to slow immigration, data shows

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A controversial floating border wall Texas governor Greg Abbott installed …

Texas’ floating barrier to stop migrants draws recurring concerns from Mexico, US official says
1 year, 4 months ago

Texas’ floating barrier to stop migrants draws recurring concerns from Mexico, US official says

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — Mexico’s government has repeatedly raised concerns with the U.S. about large buoys Texas put on the Rio Grande to deter migrants and agreements between the two countries could suffer if the floating barrier remains in place, a State Department official said in court Tuesday. “Mexico has sensitivities about sovereignty and doesn’t want to be seen as a …

Body found caught in anti-migrant barriers on Rio Grande river, Mexico says
1 year, 4 months ago

Body found caught in anti-migrant barriers on Rio Grande river, Mexico says

The Telegraph  

The Mexican government said on Wednesday that a dead body had been found caught in the controversial floating barriers installed by Texas to stop migrants crossing into the United States. US authorities informed Mexico that “they found the body of a lifeless person stuck in the southern part of the buoys” on the Rio Grande river near Eagle Pass, the …

Texas’ Latest Attack on the Biden Administration Is Coming Undone by a Technicality
1 year, 4 months ago

Texas’ Latest Attack on the Biden Administration Is Coming Undone by a Technicality

Slate  

Greg Abbott craved a showdown with President Joe Biden over illegal immigration. The governor justified the project in a letter to Biden by asserting Texas’ alleged prerogative to defend itself against “invasion,” teeing up a constitutional confrontation. First, he asserted that Biden had failed to “honor” the so-called invasion clause, which says that the federal government “shall protect each against …

Putting a floating barrier in the Rio Grande to stop migrants is new. The idea isn’t.
1 year, 4 months ago

Putting a floating barrier in the Rio Grande to stop migrants is new. The idea isn’t.

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — In the final months of the Trump administration, a new plan to seal off the United States’ southern border started gaining steam: a floating water barrier to discourage migrants from trying to cross from Mexico. The rollout of the buoys on the Rio Grande has thrust Texas into a new standoff with the Biden administration over immigration …

Biden administration sues Greg Abbott over floating border buoys in Rio Grande
1 year, 5 months ago

Biden administration sues Greg Abbott over floating border buoys in Rio Grande

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The …

Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande buoy barrier that’s meant to stop migrants
1 year, 5 months ago

Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande buoy barrier that’s meant to stop migrants

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — The Justice Department on Monday sued Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over a newly installed floating barrier on the Rio Grande that is the Republican’s latest aggressive tactic to try to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. The lawsuit asks a federal judge in Austin to force Texas to remove a roughly 1,000-foot line of …

Gov. Greg Abbott Says He'll Defy DOJ Orders On His Floating Border Wall
1 year, 5 months ago

Gov. Greg Abbott Says He'll Defy DOJ Orders On His Floating Border Wall

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the Biden administration Monday declaring his plans to continue using a floating wall along the state’s southern border, even after the Justice Department warned him last week that it’s suing him for deploying the barricade. “The fact is, if you would just enforce the immigration laws Congress already has …

Texas is using disaster declarations to install buoys and razor wire on the US-Mexico border
1 year, 5 months ago

Texas is using disaster declarations to install buoys and razor wire on the US-Mexico border

Associated Press  

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Wrecking ball-sized buoys on the Rio Grande. He has repeatedly attacked President Joe Biden’s border policies, tweeting Friday that they “encourage migrants to risk their lives crossing illegally through the Rio Grande, instead of safely and legally over a bridge.” The Biden administration has said illegal border crossings have declined significantly since new immigration rules took …

Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande migrant barrier
1 year, 5 months ago

Biden administration sues Texas governor over Rio Grande migrant barrier

LA Times  

The Justice Department is suing Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over a newly installed floating barrier on the Rio Grande that is the Republican’s latest aggressive tactic to try to stop migrants from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. The lawsuit asks a federal judge in Austin to force Texas to remove a roughly 1,000-foot line of bright orange, wrecking ball-sized …

US Justice Dept sues Texas over floating Mexico border barrier
1 year, 5 months ago

US Justice Dept sues Texas over floating Mexico border barrier

Al Jazeera  

Texas has faced criticism after installing a string of large buoys to block irregular crossings along the Rio Grande. “We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement on Monday. In addition to the safety concerns the barrier …

DOJ vows to sue if Texas Gov. Abbott doesn't remove floating barrier from Rio Grande
1 year, 5 months ago

DOJ vows to sue if Texas Gov. Abbott doesn't remove floating barrier from Rio Grande

Raw Story  

The U.S. Department of Justice has informed Republican Texas Gov. In a Thursday letter addressed to Abbott and Texas Interim Attorney General Angela Colmenero, the DOJ said the state's actions "violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government's ability to carry out its official duties." "The …

Justice Department says it'll sue Texas over floating barrier on Rio Grande
1 year, 5 months ago

Justice Department says it'll sue Texas over floating barrier on Rio Grande

Associated Press  

AUSTIN, Texas — The Justice Department has told Texas that a floating barrier of wrecking ball-sized buoys the state put on the Rio Grande violates federal law and raises humanitarian concerns for migrants crossing into the U.S. from Mexico. Greg Abbott that the barrier installed this month near the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, was “unlawful” in a letter …

US Justice Department evaluates Texas border fence with razor wire after Mexican President deems it 'inhumane'
1 year, 5 months ago

US Justice Department evaluates Texas border fence with razor wire after Mexican President deems it 'inhumane'

Hindustan Times  

The US Justice Department is looking into the legality of Texas’ border fence that uses razor wire and buoys to stop migrants from crossing the Rio Grande after the Mexican president has condemned the fence as “inhumane” and “barbaric.” Migrants walk along concertina wire as they try to cross the Rio Grande at the Texas-U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas, …

Biden administration warns Texas over floating barriers at border
1 year, 5 months ago

Biden administration warns Texas over floating barriers at border

Al Jazeera  

The US Department of Justice says the barrier in Rio Grande is unlawful and could endanger the lives of immigrants. The United States Justice Department has told Texas that its floating barrier of wrecking ball-sized buoys on the Rio Grande River violates federal law and raises humanitarian concerns for migrants and asylum seekers crossing into the country from Mexico. President …

Justice Department plans to sue Texas over floating barrier in Rio Grande
1 year, 5 months ago

Justice Department plans to sue Texas over floating barrier in Rio Grande

LA Times  

The U.S. Department of Justice intends to sue Texas over the placement of a floating buoy barrier in the Rio Grande that Gov. In response, Abbott took to Twitter on Friday and said Texas “has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the U.S. Constitution and the Texas Constitution.” Abbott went on to say that he has sent the …

Mexico files border boundaries complaint over Texas’ floating barrier plan on Rio Grande
1 year, 5 months ago

Mexico files border boundaries complaint over Texas’ floating barrier plan on Rio Grande

Associated Press  

MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s top diplomat said Friday her country has sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. government expressing concern that Texas’ deployment of floating barriers on the Rio Grande may violate 1944 and 1970 treaties on boundaries and water. Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said Mexico will send an inspection team to the Rio Grande to see whether …

Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor's latest effort to curb border crossings
1 year, 5 months ago

Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor's latest effort to curb border crossings

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Earlier iterations of Abbott's border …

Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor’s latest effort to curb border crossings
1 year, 5 months ago

Texas prepares to deploy Rio Grande buoys in governor’s latest effort to curb border crossings

Associated Press  

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Texas began rolling out what is set to become a new floating barrier on the Rio Grande on Friday in the latest escalation of Republican Gov. Earlier iterations of Abbott’s border mission have included installing miles of razor wire at popular crossing points on the river and creating state checkpoints beyond federal stops to inspect incoming …

Texas sued over plan to deploy floating barrier on Rio Grande to curb border crossings
1 year, 5 months ago

Texas sued over plan to deploy floating barrier on Rio Grande to curb border crossings

CNN  

CNN — The owner of a Texas canoe and kayaking company filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to stop the installation of a marine floating barrier on the Rio Grande, claiming Gov. “Our lawsuit seeks to protect communities on the Texas-Mexico border from Governor Abbott’s misleading politics,” said attorney Carlos Flores, who represents plaintiff Jessie Fuentes, the owner of Epi’s …

Four migrants, including an infant, drowned in the Rio Grande River over 3-day period, official says
1 year, 5 months ago

Four migrants, including an infant, drowned in the Rio Grande River over 3-day period, official says

CNN  

CNN — Law enforcement officers in Texas have recovered the bodies of four drowned migrants, including an infant, from the Rio Grande River along the US-Mexico border since Saturday, an official said. The woman and child were found after US Customs and Border Protection requested the assistance of the state public safety department’s Tactical Marine Unit regarding a possible infant …

Texas governor announces plan to deploy marine floating barriers on Rio Grande to deter migrant crossings
1 year, 6 months ago

Texas governor announces plan to deploy marine floating barriers on Rio Grande to deter migrant crossings

CNN  

CNN — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday announced plans to deploy a floating marine barrier along the Rio Grande to deter illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border. Brandon Bell/Getty Images “This is a new water-based barrier … we can put mile after mile after mile of these buoys,” the governor said while showing an artist’s illustration of the buoy …

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