Buoys set on the international boundary between Mexico and the U.S. were placed by the State of Texas on the Rio Grande as a measure to prevent migrants seeking asylum from crossing into Eagle Pass, Texas from Piedras, Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. In this drone photo Eagle Pass, Texas is on the left side of the frame looking east downriver.
© Omar Ornelas/El Paso Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Austin, TX) – The large, orange buoys with attached razor blades must be removed from the Rio Grande — after a decision from a federal appeals court. The court’s action held up a previous ruling and calls on Texas to remove the buoys, which were set up at the border crossing in order to thwart illegal immigration. Authorities have argued the Rio Grande is too easy to traverse unless the buoys are in place.
But some argue the buoys need to be removed because they pose a physical threat — given the attached blades have serrated edges and could cut people as a result. Texas Governor Greg Abbott says amid the state’s efforts to secure the border — all while a massive amount of illegal migrants attempt to flood across — the buoy’s are necessary.
Now, the appeals court says they violate navigable waterway laws and must be removed. In New York City, the nation’s migrant crisis, and busloads of migrants coming from southern border states, has partially led to a 5% reduction to the city budget.
