Texas Launches floating Barrier in the Rio Grande to Stop Illegal Migrants from Crossing Into US; Lawsuit Filed Against Border Buoy Barrier Initiative

Texas begins installing buoy barrier along Rio Grande to deter migrant border crossings:

Texas’ latest measures to keep illegal immigrants from crossing into the state between official points of entry was rolled out Wednesday with a 1,000-foot floating barrier strung across the river separating the US from Mexico.

Workers have arranged large orange buoys across the middle of the Rio Grande, which doubles as the international boundary, near Eagle Pass, Texas — which is an an illegal crossing hot spot.

“The buoys go down a foot below the water line, so anyone wanting to get past them would have to swim at least that far down,” Texas Department of Public Safety Spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez told The Post.

So far, migrants trying to make their way into the US have not attempted to go over them or under them, Olivarez said, adding gaps in certain areas are still being closed.

It will take another week or so before they can be anchored to the river bed and the work is completed.

“Most [migrants], they don’t want to go under water, they’re trying to scale over, like a wall,” Olivarez explained.

“Especially with children, I think it’s going to be most effective with families who are trying to come across. Across the board, we want to prevent people from crossing the river in the first place.”

Migrants who cross into the US through Texas have no other option than to wade through the waters of the Rio Grande, as it stretches the entire length of the state from El Paso, in the western corner of the state, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, some 1,885 miles east. —>READ MORE HERE

Lawsuit Filed Against Border Buoy Barrier Initiative:

A local kayak business claims the installation will cause them “irreparable harm.”

A local kayak business claims the installation will cause them “irreparable harm.”

An Eagle Pass business owner has filed a lawsuit against Gov. Greg Abbott, the State of Texas, and the Department of Public Safety for the Operation Lone Star border buoy initiative.

The buoys were designed to create a floating blockade in the Rio Grande River that would discourage illegal border crossings.

Epi’s Canoe & Kayak Team owner Jesse Fuentes has filed a lawsuit in Travis County which asks a judge to halt the installation of the buoys. In the lawsuit, Fuentes claims media coverage and installation of the buoy barrier have led to the cancellation of kayak events and will cause long-term “imminent and irreparable harm” to his business.

Fuentes is a member of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition, an organization founded to oppose border wall measures. The coalition hosted a protest against the buoys during their installation.

Democrats have also expressed concern over the safety of those attempting to cross the Rio Grande, with U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) calling the buoys “drowning devices.” —>READ MORE HERE

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