Texas law enforcement officials began installing barriers on the Rio Grande River this week in an effort to stop illegal aliens from trying to cross the river to reach U.S. soil.
“New marine barrier installation on the Rio Grande begins today,” Governor Greg Abbott said in a Friday tweet. “Texas DPS is overseeing the project in Eagle Pass. More to come.”
New marine barrier installation on the Rio Grande begins today.
Texas DPS is overseeing the project in Eagle Pass.
More to come. pic.twitter.com/nHrTqUG7Fi
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 7, 2023
The 4-foot-wide orange spherical buoys spin if someone tries to grab onto them, according to the New York Post. The barrier can be moved or extended if need be.
The effort is part of the state’s “Operation Lone Star,” which aims to combat the catastrophe unleashed on the state by President Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
The buoys have arrived and the installation of the marine barrier on the Rio Grande begins today. #OperationLoneStar pic.twitter.com/43VEM1tfLu
— Texas DPS (@TxDPS) July 7, 2023
A small business owner filed a lawsuit against the state claiming that the barrier will impact his livelihood as a kayak tour guide.
Epi’s Canoe & Kayak Team owner Jesse Fuentes filed his lawsuit just a few hours after law enforcement began installing the barriers, claiming that they will cause him “imminent and irreparable harm.”
“The Governor proclaims to support law and order, yet he initiated Operation Lone Star without legal authority and seeks to install buoys to score political points without a legitimate public policy objective,” a lawyer for the company claimed in a statement.
Abbott fired back at the lawsuit on Twitter.
“We will see you in court. And don’t think the Travis Co. Court will be the end of it,” he said. “This is going to the Supreme Court. Texas has a constitutional right to secure our border.”
In a press release from the governor’s office this week, the state announced that Operation Lone Star has “led to over 387,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 30,400 criminal arrests, with more than 28,500 felony charges reported.”
“In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 421 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission,” the statement added.
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