Texas faces off with Biden over floating barrier in Rio Grande

A panel of federal judges heard arguments Thursday about whether Texas needed federal approval for a barrier to stop migrants from crossing the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass. Justice Department attorney Michael Gray argued the stretch is a navigable channel of commerce protected by law from being blocked. Gray pointed to past traffic from ferries by the U.S. Coast Guard and the International Boundary and Water Commission as evidence of its navigability. Attorney Lanora Pettit, who represented Texas, pointed to a 1975 study by the Army Corp of Engineers noting the water was too shallow for consistent boat traffic. She also argued that the buoys are not a permanent barrier. The judges did not say when they would rule on the case.

Didn’t the Biden administration restart the border wall construction? The Biden administration announced Wednesday night it would override 26 federal laws to spur more construction of the border wall in Starr County, Texas. The Department of Homeland Security posted the notice the night before Texas faced the federal government in court.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in WORLD Magazine on Texas border communities struggling with an influx of migrants.