The State of Texas is being sued by the Biden Justice Department over a floating buoy barricade and razor wire fence erected near Eagle Pass, TX.
Eagle Pass, located right on the US-Mexico border, has seen the second-highest number of migrant crossings this year with roughly 270,000 encounters (last year’s numbers were even higher). The 1,000-foot barrier is located on the Rio Grande River and consists of wrecking ball-sized buoys anchored to the riverbed.
As stated in a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) from the Justice Department, these barricades “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 letter, dated July 20th, threatens legal action if the governor fails to remove the “unlawful structures” by July 24th.
Governor Abbott responded to the threat on Twitter, reiterating his state’s constitutional right to defend its border against illegal immigration, human and drug trafficking, and weapons smuggling. “Under Biden’s policies, the UN declared the US-Mexico border the deadliest border crossing in [the] world,” said Abbott. “We will continue to deploy every strategy to protect Texans and Americans – and the migrants risking their lives. We will see you in court, Mr. President.
The state of Texas has been forced to take matters into its own hands in recent years as the Biden Administration does nothing to address the crisis at the southern border.
In 2021, the Texas Department of Public Safety partnered with the state’s Military Department to launch a multibillion-dollar border security initiative known as Operation Lone Star. So far, the operation has resulted in 394,200 apprehensions, 31,300 criminal arrests, and the seizure of more than 442 million deadly doses of fentanyl (enough to kill every American citizen).
Nearly 30,000 migrants who entered the US through the southern border have been sent to Democrat-led “sanctuary cities” like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
“With migrants from over 150 countries encouraged by open border policies to risk their lives and make this dangerous trek to enter our country illegally, Texas is deploying every tool and strategy to deter and repel illegal crossings between ports of entry,” reads a joint statement from Abbott, Texas Border Czar Mike Banks, DPS Director Steve McCraw, and Texas Adjutant Genearl Major Genearl Thomas Suelzer.
The operation “continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” adds Abbott. “Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden’s open border policies.”
Democratic lawmakers responded to Abbott’s statements by calling on the Biden Administration to use its federal authority over immigration policy to shut down Operation Lone Star. In a letter to President Biden signed by 86 Democrats, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) claims the Texas border initiative represents a danger to both migrants and border patrol officers and impedes the ability of the latter to comply with federal and international laws.
Despite the Justice Department’s lawsuit, National Border Patrol Council Vice President Chris Cabrera told Fox News that most border patrol agents are proud of Texas for its efforts to secure the border.
Author’s Note: Removing a barrier that is designed to prevent illegal activity because it is harming people while they are trying to commit that illegal activity is just stupid. There are plenty of ports of entry at the southern border where asylum seekers and migrants can legally seek entry into the United States.
Sources:
Texas Gov Abbott swipes Biden in latest war of words over border security impending DOJ lawsuit
Justice Department to sue Texas Gov. Abbott over razor wire, floating barrier along US border
Biden administration warns Texas over floating barriers at border
Operation Lone Star Combats President Biden’s Humanitarian Crisis
What is Operation Lone Star? Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial border mission, explained.