In a significant victory, a United States Court of Appeals issued an emergency stay, allowing Texas to temporarily retain the barriers it has erected along the Rio Grande.
The aforementioned action is a direct consequence of an order issued by a federal magistrate in Austin one day prior, requiring Texas to relocate the barricades to the side of the river on American soil by September 15.
In addition, the state was instructed not to construct any additional structures within or along the river until the litigation filed by the Department of Justice was resolved.
As stated explicitly in the filing made by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the stay is presently in effect “pending further order of the Court.”
It is anticipated that the Fifth Circuit will hold a comprehensive hearing at which both parties will present their arguments regarding the installation of barriers within the Rio Grande River.
The Biden administration’s Department of Justice initiated a lawsuit against the State of Texas in July. The lawsuit alleges that Texas exceeded its jurisdictional limits by constructing river barriers.
“The Court is directing that the buoy barrier be moved from the main waters of the Rio Grande River to the riverbank, rather than removal entirely from the river, so that the barrier does not impede or impair in any way navigation by airboats or other shallow draft craft along the Rio Grande River,” read part of Judge David Alan Ezra’s ruling. “The evidence has established that this can be done in a rather expeditious manner, as the Governor himself ordered movement of the buoy barrier, which the federal government maintained was in part in Mexican waters to a position closer to the United States side of the river.”
Governor Abbott disagreed with the verdict, deeming it “incorrect,” as stated in his Wednesday statement.
“Today’s court decision merely prolongs President Biden’s willful refusal to acknowledge that Texas is rightfully stepping up to do the job that he should have been doing all along. This ruling is incorrect and will be overturned on appeal,” Abbott declared. “We will continue to utilize every strategy to secure the border, including deploying Texas National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers and installing strategic barriers. Our battle to defend Texas’ sovereign authority to protect lives from the chaos caused by President Biden’s open border policies has only begun. Texas is prepared to take this fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
AZ built a border wall out of shipping crates. TX built a floating wall in the Rio Grande.
The Biden administration sued both states and forced them to take it down
It’s not a border crisis, it’s a plot pic.twitter.com/JKkm856jZA
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 7, 2023
The announcement coincides with allegations that the Biden administration plans to implement a “remain-in-Texas” policy to prevent unlawful migrants from entering the United States outside of Texas and relocating to places governed by Democrats, i.e. Democrats don’t want illegal immigrants in blue, sanctuary cities, which is ironic and hypocritical.
Why is Texas not allowed to protect her own border from invasion?
Governor Abbott put up a barrier on the Rio Grande, Biden sure to have it removed.
Are we not a sovereign state anymore?
What happened to STATE’S RIGHTS, and is this still America?
— Irene Armendariz-Jackson (@BorderIrene) September 7, 2023
According to a story by the LA Times, under the Biden administration’s proposed policy, some migrant families would be required to remain in Texas or potentially other border states. To ensure compliance, these individuals would be subject to GPS tracking devices, such as ankle bracelets, which would monitor their whereabouts.
As we reported last month, since April 2022, border wall components, including “thick wall tubes,” have been auctioned off on GovPlanet.
Additionally, confirming the accusations, the Pentagon acknowledged they are selling “wall materials.”
More proof that the Biden administration is uninterested in border security.
According to a statement from Pentagon spokesperson Raini Brunson, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is disposing of the excess border wall materials in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation,” the New York Post reported.
GovPlanet was instructed not to mention Trump when advertising the wall materials by the Department of Defense.
“We are legally not allowed to mention these are the border wall materials, or we could lose our jobs,” a GovPlanet source revealed. “But that’s what they are—110 percent.”
“USACE has already transferred approximately $154 million worth of the roughly $260 million of bollard panels and other materials in accordance with standard excess property disposition procedures. USACE stands ready to implement a decision regarding the disposition of the remaining materials,” Brunson said in further comments.
Jonathan Lines, the supervisor of Yuma County, expressed his displeasure with the Biden administration’s choice, especially since he had expected them to fill in the holes in Arizona’s border wall.
Plans to close the holes at Yuma’s Morelos Dam, which has been a troublesome entry site for illegal immigrants, were previously revealed by the Department of Homeland Security.
“The wall closing off the gaps at the dam is still under construction,” Lines told The Daily Caller.
“Everything to complete the wall was already in place on the ground and purchased, and now they have gone out and redesigned the enclosures for the gaps. This is an example of government waste at its finest,” he added.