The State of Texas is installing a string of buoys in the Rio Grande to deter unlawful migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced the installation, slated for a location near Eagle Pass, at a press conference last week after signing legislation increasing Texas border security funding by $5.1 billion.
The Texas Department of Public Safety said that the floating barriers will be deployed in an area frequently utilized by drug and human traffickers. The buoys will top out at 4 feet above water level and will be equipped with netting anchored to the riverbed to prevent people from swimming under them.
DPS said their agents had tested the buoys and found them difficult to pass without specialized skills and equipment.
In a press release, Gov. Abbott’s communications team emphasized the strategy was meant to deter unlawful crossings.
“This strategy will proactively prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry by making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border.”
Reporter Ali Bradley of NewsNation claimed on Twitter that she spoke to sources who said the plan has been in the works since January.
“The marine floating barrier has been in the works since for at least 4 months — I received an ‘off the record’ tip about it back in January… Now it’s finally coming to fruition.”
Texans for Strong Borders, an organization that lobbies the Texas Legislature for enhanced border security, criticized Gov. Abbott’s broader border plan after the announcement. The organization believes Abbott ignores comprehensive solutions in favor of political theater. It recently sent a tweet demanding a special legislative session be called to focus on border security issues.
-Repel the Invasion
-Mandate E-Verify
-End In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens
-Finish the Wall
NO EXCUSES.”
Immigration activists also slammed the measure, calling it an effort to drown unlawful migrants. The director of the Texas chapter of the League of United Latin Americans Citizens, Rodolfo Rosales, told CBS News the use of buoys is extreme.
“We view it as a chilling reminder of the extreme measures used throughout history by elected leaders against those they do not regard as human beings, seeking only to exterminate them, regardless of the means employed,” Rosales said.