Texas places more buoys in the Rio Grande despite Biden administration lawsuit



Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced the state is placing more of the border buoys in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass despite the ongoing lawsuit by the Biden-Harris administration to stop Texas' efforts.

The buoys were Texas' attempt to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the Del Rio Sector, which has been a popular crossing area for illegal immigrants for years. Texas putting a barrier in the river, with the middle marking the end of the U.S. and the beginning of Mexico, resulted in protests from the Mexican and U.S. governments.

"Texas placed more buoys in the Rio Grande River this morning. Despite the Biden-Harris Administration’s attempts to shut down our border security efforts, the buoys are here to stay. We won't back down from our mission to deter & repel illegal immigration," Abbott posted to X on Wednesday.

While the buoys gained a lot of attention, they had limitations.

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The buoys were attacked by Democrats as being dangerous for people who were illegally crossing the river. Some dead bodies, another historic high under the Biden-Harris administration, were found entangled in the buoys after they were installed last year, but they were determined to have drowned upriver and the buoys were not the cause of death.

Texas continuing to place the water barriers in place before Joe Biden leaves the White House next year shows how serious the state is about using tools at its disposal to deter illegal immigrants. With President-elect Donald Trump returning to Washington, D.C., there has been a slight increase in illegal crossings as people want to enter the country before he takes office.

While the buoys have gained a lot of attention, they have limitations. That portion of the Rio Grande can sometimes have a very low water level to where illegal immigrants can wade in only ankle- or shin-deep. The barriers are also stationary and do not come close to blocking all areas where people have crossed into the United States.

That said, the barriers have helped direct the flow of traffic to areas with better coverage by law enforcement. The chain is further bolstered by the fences and razor wire that are along the riverbank on the U.S. side of the border.

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Texas makes Trump enticing offer to help facilitate mass deportations



While blue cities and states across America vow to protect illegal aliens from deportation in President-elect Donald Trump's second term, Texas now stands apart, having offered a large swath of land to help facilitate such deportations.

On Tuesday, Dawn Buckingham, a medical doctor and the commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, sent Trump a letter, offering just over 1,400 acres of land along the U.S.-Mexico border in Starr County, Texas, "to allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation's history."

According to the letter, they recently secured Fronton Island, the largest island in the Rio Grande and a hotbed for human trafficking and cartel violence.

Buckingham claimed that the state purchased the property just a few weeks ago to build another mile and a half of Trump's wall. She also noted that the previous owner was hostile to efforts by law enforcement to secure the border.

"Her actions enabled cartel members and violent criminals to sexually abuse migrant women and children on this land for some time," Buckingham wrote.

Buckingham told Fox News, the first outlet to report the letter, that she fully supports the MAGA agenda regarding illegal immigrants, especially those who have gone on to commit other crimes in the U.S.

"I am 100% on board with the Trump administration's pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate those deportations of these violent criminals."

According to Buckingham, the land in Starr County is particularly well-suited to a holding facility since it's mostly flat and therefore "easy to build on." She also noted that it is conveniently located near the Rio Grande and international airports.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment from the Texas Tribune.

Regardless of whether Trump accepts the offer, Buckingham and other Texas officials have already made major strides in protecting the U.S. border. According to the letter, they recently secured Fronton Island, the largest island in the Rio Grande and a hotbed for human trafficking and cartel violence.

While clearing the island of brush and vegetation and installing razor wire along the river, officials discovered evidence of "weapon caches and even improvised explosive devices," Buckingham wrote.

Since that initiative to secure Fronton Island, "All cartel-related activity has dropped to zero," she said.

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Texas' buoy barrier to deter illegal crossings can remain in Rio Grande, court rules



On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that Texas may keep its water barrier in the Rio Grande.

Last summer, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced his administration's plan to install a 1,000-foot floating fence in the river in response to the Biden administration's refusal to secure the southern border. The barrier consists of interconnected inflatable sphere buoys, four feet wide, that spin when grabbed to prevent individuals from climbing over.

'Biden tried to remove them. I fought to keep them in the water.'

Abbott said that the water barrier would be placed near Eagle Pass, a highly trafficked area of the border. The governor also placed concertina wire along the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass to further deter unlawful crossings.

The Biden administration entered into a legal battle with the state over its attempts to stem the illegal immigration crisis, filing lawsuits against Texas' installation of the concertina wire and the buoy wall. Biden's Department of Justice claimed that Texas violated federal law by not obtaining authorization to install the barrier. It further alleged that the buoys present environmental and safety concerns.

On Tuesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the marine barrier may stay for now, reversing a lower court's injunction that ordered its removal. The broader case will return to a district court in Austin next week.

Following the court's latest ruling, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced, "The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in Texas's favor, finding that the federal district court abused its discretion when it ordered Texas to remove the buoys floating in the Rio Grande that prevent aliens from attempting a dangerous river crossing to enter America illegally. The buoys can remain in the river. I will continue to defend Texas's right to protect its border from illegal immigration!"

Abbott called the court's Tuesday decision "justice."

"Biden tried to remove them. I fought to keep them in the water. That is exactly where they will stay," Abbott said.

Abbott's interventions to curb the border crisis were deployed as part of the governor's Operation Lone Star, a joint effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard. According to the governor, the effort has resulted in more than 516,600 illegal alien apprehensions and over 45,500 criminal arrests.

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‘Alligators are in the Rio Grande’: Texas Gov. Abbott warns would-be illegal aliens about risks of crossing border river



Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently warned would-be illegal aliens who are considering crossing the Rio Grande to enter the United States unlawfully that the water is infested with alligators.

Abbott re-shared a video post on X that showed an alligator in the river near Eagle Pass, Texas. According to the post, the footage was captured by a local resident who came across the reptile while fishing one morning.

Independent journalist Auden B. Cabello noted that Border Patrol agents have also previously confirmed alligator sightings in the river.

Abbott wrote on Sunday in response to the video, “Alligators are in the Rio Grande. FYI there are warning signs posted in some sectors. Cross at your own risk.”

Alligators are in the Rio Grande.\n\nFYI there are warning signs posted in some sectors.\n\nCross at your own risk.
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Last year, the governor shared a similar video of the creature lurking alongside a Texas National Guard boat before disappearing under the water.

“The Texas National Guard took this picture in the Rio Grande river near Eagle Pass,” Abbott said.

The Texas National Guard took this picture in the Rio Grande river near Eagle Pass.
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Abbott’s office issued a press release last week stating that its multi-agency Operation Lone Star effort is still working together to “fill the dangerous gaps” in the border wall, including installing concertina wire in El Paso.

Spc. Newman Gideon with the Texas National Guard stated, “My responsibility on the border is to provide security for the teams going in and clearing out brush to make way for more concertina wire.”

“If there’s a hole that’s already been cut, we are going to take pliers and wire cutters to repair and close that gap [illegal immigrants] created. It’s important that [the Texas National Guard] is here to stop migrants crossing into the United States,” he added.

Abbott recently shared a video showing the continued construction of the border wall in Zapata County.

“Texas won’t back down,” Abbott wrote on X. “We are using every tool available to secure the border in Biden’s absence.”

Construction continues on the Texas border wall in Zapata County.\n\nTexas won\u2019t back down.\n\nWe are using every tool available to secure the border in Biden\u2019s absence.
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The state is also working to build the Forward Operating Base near Eagle Pass to provide housing to the thousands of Texas National Guard troops assisting with the ongoing crisis at the southern border.

So far, the governor’s Operation Lone Star has led to the apprehension of nearly 510,000 illegal migrants and the arrests of another roughly 42,100 criminals. Additionally, the operation has seized more than 476 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

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Will The Kickapoo Tribe Be Dragged Into The Abbott-Biden Fray Over Illegal Immigration?

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-15-at-6.59.28 AM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Screenshot-2024-02-15-at-6.59.28%5Cu202fAM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]With Abbott shutting down Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, illegal border crossings are spiking down the road on tribal lands.

Texas responds to Supreme Court ruling by adding more razor wire along border: 'Hold the line'



The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the Biden Department of Homeland Security Monday, allowing federal border officials to cut the razor wire Texas has installed along stretches of the Rio Grande as a means of securing the southern border and protecting American sovereignty.

Rather than cave in the wake of the 5-4 decision — which had nominally conservative Justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett in the majority — the Lone Star State has doubled down and installed more wire.

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The Texas Military Department indicated it would "hold the line in Shelby Park to deter and prevent unlawful entry into the State of Texas. We remain resolute in our actions to secure our border, preserve the rule of law, and protect the sovereignty of our State."

Shelby Park is a 47-acre municipal park in Eagle Pass where hordes of illegal aliens have entered the U.S. in recent months and years. The state seized control of the park on Jan. 10. In addition to fencing the perimeter and improving shoreline barriers, the state ousted federal agents, allowing them entry only in specific circumstances.

"Texas has the legal authority to control ingress and egress into any geographical location in the state of Texas, and that authority is being asserted with regard to that park in Eagle Pass, Texas, to maintain operational control of it," Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said of the move.

In the weeks since, the Biden administration has been working through the courts to regain entry to the park and dismantle the defenses therein.

NewsNation reported that following the Monday Supreme Court ruling, Texas officials have been spotted installing new razor wire and anti-climb fences. Federal agents have not yet been seen attempting to enter Shelby Park to cut the wire.

Footage shared to X by CBS News' Camilo Montoya-Galvez appears to show Texas National Guard soldiers setting up more wire in Eagle Pass to help curb the influx of foreign nationals into the country.

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Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) championed Texas' apparent installation of additional razor wire, telling NewsNation, "Quite frankly, I think that Gov. Abbott needs to tell the federal government to stay out of Texas, in my opinion. They're not protecting the border, they've done a lousy job as an administration, they're not putting the policies in effect that need to be there to deter people from coming."

Following the Supreme Court's ruling, Abbott wrote, "This is not over. Texas' razor wire is an effective deterrent to the illegal crossings Biden encourages. I will continue to defend Texas' constitutional authority to secure the border and prevent the Biden Admin from destroying our property."

The Texas National Guard continues to hold the line in Eagle Pass.\n\nTexas will not back down from our efforts to secure the border in Biden\u2019s absence.
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"The Supreme Court's temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said of the ruling. "The destruction of Texas's border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state's sovereignty."

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) blasted the interlocutory order, writing, "This opinion is unconscionable and Texas should ignore it on behalf of the [Border Patrol Union] agents who will be put in a worse position by the opinion and the Biden administration's policies."

The Border Patrol Union indicated the removal of wire would "undoubtedly encourage more illegal immigration" and hinder Border Patrol agents' efforts to target criminal elements crossing the border illegally.

"The administration no doubt will say this is a win for border security, but if they sought rank and file input, they would be told this will do the exact opposite," the union said in a statement. "Agents support what Texas was trying to accomplish in the absence of true border security policies from this administration."

"I think it's disgraceful," Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) told the Messenger. "And it is unfortunately the manifestation of the Biden administration actively fighting against the state of Texas to try to prevent Texas from securing our border."

Blaze News previously reported that the Biden White House alternatively celebrated the decision, stressing the wire "got in the way."

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Texas seizes riverfront park in Eagle Pass to curb onslaught of illegal aliens



Texas seized control of a 47-acre municipal park in Eagle Pass Wednesday evening under an emergency declaration from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in an effort to stem the flood of illegal aliens into the state. Shelby Park, which was previously privatized as part of Operation Lone Star, adjoins a high-traffic portion of the Rio Grande where Abbott deployed his floating wall to the Biden administration's chagrin.

Along with the public and illegal aliens, federal Border Patrol agents are not permitted to enter the park except to remove their remaining equipment and supplies.

"As caravans of migrants are moving through Mexico toward the U.S. border, we are making clear that Texas will be a tough place to cross," Abbott said Thursday evening.

The move came one month after the renewal of Abbott's May 2021 border disaster declaration and just days after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made the shocking admission that federal immigration authorities release over 85% of the illegal aliens they detain.

Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas noted in a video shared to Meta Wednesday evening that he received a call from Victor Escalon, South Texas regional director for the Texas Department of Public Safety, indicating the state planned to take "full control" of the park. Sure enough, Humvees rolled in just before midnight and state agents blocked entrances to the park, reported Texas Public Radio.

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"They tell me that the mission is to prevent undocumented people from crossing into Eagle Pass," Salinas said during a press conference Thursday. "That is not something that the city wanted, requested, asked for."

Under the direction of the DPS, Salinas reportedly signed an affidavit in June 2022 declaring Shelby Park his personal property, enabling the state to close the park to the public, to install defensive wire and obstacles along the riverbank, and to arrest illegal aliens caught skirting through.

While the Eagle Pass City Council voted in August 2023 to rescind the affidavit, wresting the park from Operation Lone Star and making it public once again, Salinas reinstated the authorization for the DPS one month later and signed a declaration of emergency over the migrant crisis.

Salinas indicated Thursday he was told that the state was taking control of the park "indefinitely" under the border disaster declaration.

Abbott spokeswoman Renae Eze said in a statement obtained by The Hill, "Texas is holding the line at our southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti-climb barriers to deter and repel the record-high levels of illegal immigration invited by President Biden's reckless open border policies. Instead of enforcing federal immigration laws, the Biden Administration allows unfettered access for Mexican cartels to smuggle people into our country."

"Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS troopers, and more barriers, utilizing every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden's ongoing border crisis," added Eze.

The Hill indicated Customs and Border Protection officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The National Border Patrol Union said in a statement obtained by Fox News' Bill Melugin, "Governor Abbott is not harming Border Patrol operations, he is enhancing them. His seizing control of Shelby Park allows our agents to deploy to troubled spots that experience high numbers of gotaways. Governor Abbott’s actions should be seen as a force multiplier."

The Texas Military Department stated, "The Texas National Guard has maintained a presence with security points and temporary barrier in Shelby Park since 2021. The current posture is to prepare for future illegal immigrant surges and to restrict access to organizations that perpetuate illegal immigrant crossings in the park and greater Eagle Pass area."

Over 300,000 illegal aliens stole into the U.S. in December, the highest monthly tally on record, reported CBS News. Not including border crossings this month or the multitudes of migrants whose entries have already gone unreported, that puts the total for this fiscal year at over 800,000.

2.47 million, 2.37 million, and 1.73 million illegal aliens entered the United States in fiscal years 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

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Biden’s Border Crisis Balloons With Most August Apprehensions Ever Recorded

August arrest data also pushed Customs and Border Protection’s 2023 fiscal year apprehension total well over 2 million.

It’s No Accident The Southern Border Is Collapsing, It’s Intentional

The scenes out of Eagle Pass, Texas, leave no doubt the actual policy of the Biden administration is uncontrolled mass illegal immigration.

'The Biden administration has a vendetta against the state of Texas': New border policy plans may FORCE illegal immigrants to stay in TEXAS



While there are hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants flooding into Texas, New York City Mayor Eric Adams is claiming 10,000 of them are enough to collapse New York.

The logic there may make zero sense, but the Biden administration isn’t known for its ability to make any sense either. That may be why it is now considering a policy that would force illegal immigrants who cross into Texas to remain there while waiting for their asylum screening.

Governor Greg Abbott is outraged and joins Glenn to respond to the liberal-made mess.

“This is the biggest game-changing border policy I have ever seen in almost 50 years of broadcast,” Glenn tells Abbott.

Abbott agrees, adding that the sanctuary cities that are revolting against the influx of illegal immigrants are the ones that have said, “We want your tired, your poor, your illegal immigrants, and we want them here.”

However, when they actually have to live up to those promises, they do a complete 180 and “collapse like a cheap tent,” Abbott says.

Though the Texas governor is being demonized for busing migrants out to other states, the Biden administration actually has been doing "the exact same thing," Abbott says.

Abbott claims approximately 90-95% of migrants who cross over in Texas do not stay in Texas, but that would change if the Biden administration forces the migrants to stay.

Abbott believes that this is “payback” for Texas taking over “operational control of the border,” where the state has actually “repelled or pushed back into Mexico people who were trying to cross illegally.”

“This is the only time in American history when anything like that has happened,” Abbott says.

“Yes, the Biden administration has a vendetta against the state of Texas.”

Abbott also explains that under President Trump, Texas had its lowest illegal immigration in 40 years. Now under Biden’s open border policies, the state has its highest illegal immigration ever.

However, Abbott isn’t giving up and claims the new policy the Biden administration is considering “is a losing legal proposition for Biden.”

“We’ll just hand him another loss if he tries this crazy game.”


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