Texas River Buoys to Block Border Surge Fail Appeals Challenge

Texas must remove floating barriers in the Rio Grande, installed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to prevent border crossings, a second federal court ruled Friday.

Affirming a district court’s injunction, a panel on the ultra-conservative US Fifth Circuit concluded that the segment of the river is navigable and, as such, the buoys unlawfully obstruct access for citizens of both the US and Mexico.

The decision marks another setback for Abbott in his bid to deter crossings into the state. It comes two days after a different federal court denied Texas’ request to stop Border Patrol agents from cutting concertina wire ...