‘We won’t back down’: Texas adds more buoys to Rio Grande amid legal battle The floating barrier was initially installed in 2023
FILE - Migrants walk past large buoys being used as a floating border barrier on the Rio Grande Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on the future of the barrier of giant buoys that aimed at deterring migrant traffic on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) (Eric Gay, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Additional giant buoys have been installed in the Rio Grande Wednesday morning, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.
The floating barrier was initially installed in 2023, which the governor’s office said is meant to deter and repel illegal river crossings.
The buoys have been at the center of a legal battle between the state and federal government.
The Justice Department sued Abbott in 2023 in an effort to remove the bright orange barrier. The Biden administration said the buoys raised humanitarian and environmental concerns .
“We won’t back down from our mission to deter & repel illegal immigration,” Abbott posted on X on Wednesday.
Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved.
About the Author Daniela Ibarra headshot
Daniela Ibarra joined the KSAT News team in July 2023. This isn’t her first time in the KSAT newsroom– the San Antonio native spent the summer of 2017 as an intern. Daniela is a proud Mean Green alum, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas.
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