Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) began rolling out the "marine barrier installation" to discourage illegal aliens from entering the country through the southern border.
As part of Operation Lone Star, the Republican announced his plan to place large orange buoys along the Rio Grande to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants in Texas.
"New marine barrier installation on the Rio Grande begins today. Texas DPS is overseeing the project in Eagle Pass. More to come," Abbott tweeted.
New marine barrier installation on the Rio Grande begins today.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 7, 2023
Texas DPS is overseeing the project in Eagle Pass.
More to come. pic.twitter.com/nHrTqUG7Fi
Texas officials praised Abbott's plan, saying that the buoys would make it difficult for illegal aliens to cross the river.
"Anytime they get in that water, it's a risk to the migrants. This is the deterrent from even coming in the water," Texas Department of Public Safety director Steve McCraw said.
The inflatable balls spin when one tries to climb them, "making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border," Abbott's office said in a press release.
However, liberal Left-wingers have criticized the governor's plan— claiming it is "unconstitutional."
The American Civil Liberties Union in Texas protested at the border earlier this week, holding a sign that read "defund the wall" and said a prayer for the river.
An attorney for the Left-wing group told CNN that "the latest in a chain of gifts from the state to private contractors to fuel the governor's manufactured crisis at the border."
Recommended
He claimed the buoys are a "blight on Texas's moral conscience."
A Texas kayaking company filed a lawsuit against Abbott, claiming the governor's plan will hurt his business.
According to his lawsuit, Jessie Fuentes—Epi's Canoe & Kayak Team owner— said the buoys would cause his company to suffer "imminent and irreparable harm."
However, in response, Abbott vowed to fight back against the lawsuit.
"We will see you in court. And I don't think the Travis Co. Court will be the end of it. This is going to the Supreme Court. Texas has a constitutional right to secure our border," Abbott tweeted.
"Abbott sued over plan to deploy buoys in the Rio Grande."
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) July 8, 2023
We will see you in court.
And don't think the Travis Co. Court will be the end of it.
This is going to the Supreme Court.
Texas has a constitutional right to secure our border. https://t.co/1qg7tsrfI6
Since entering office, President Joe Biden's open border policies have caused Eagle Pass to see the second-highest number of illegal migrant crossings this fiscal year, with about 270,000 encounters.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member