Court Upholds Texas Floating Barrier in Rio Grande

Texas Governor Greg Abbott celebrated a significant legal victory as the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state can maintain a floating barrier in the Rio Grande designed to deter illegal immigration. The court overruled a lower court's preliminary injunction that had attempted to block the barrier's presence, asserting that the Biden administration's arguments against it were unpersuasive. Abbott expressed his satisfaction over the ruling on social media, stating, "Biden tried to remove them. I fought to keep them in the water. That is exactly where they will stay." This decision allows Texas to keep the buoy barrier in place while ongoing legal battles over the state’s border policies continue. The ruling counters federal claims that the barrier violates the Rivers and Harbors Act by asserting it does not interfere with navigable waters. The Biden administration's lawsuit against the floating barriers is set to be heard in August, marking a continuing standoff over immigration policy between Texas and the federal government.