This week, Texas law enforcement officials began erecting barriers along the Rio Grande River in an effort to prevent illegal aliens from crossing the river into the United States, according to a report by The Daily Wire.
“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
According to the New York Post, the orange spherical buoys spin if someone attempts to grasp onto them. If necessary, the barrier can be moved or extended.
The initiative is a component of the state's "Operation Lone Star," which seeks to combat the disaster caused by President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
A small business owner has filed a lawsuit against the state, alleging that the barrier will negatively affect his ability to make a living as a kayak tour guide.
Jesse Fuentes, owner of Epi's Canoe & Kayak Team, submitted his lawsuit mere hours after law enforcement began installing the barriers, alleging that they will cause him "imminent and irreparable harm."
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
“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 pushed 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 some of the results of Operation Lone Star.
According to the press release, 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.
"Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden's open border policies."
