A lawsuit was filed on Saturday July 8 against a plan by the US state of Texas to deploy a floating barrier on the Rio Grande to prevent the crossing of illegal immigrants from Mexico.
This project presented on July 6 by the Republican governor of Texas, the very right Greg Abbottplans to install large floating buoys on the river to deter these migrants, nicknamed in Spanish the ” Mojada Espaldas (wet backs) to attempt the crossing.
“ This installation starts today “, announced the governor on his Twitter account on Friday, posting photographs of trucks carrying large orange buoys.
The Rio Grande, which originates in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado (west) before crossing New Mexico and Texas to empty into the Gulf of Mexico (southeast), acts as a natural and international border between the United States. States and Mexico for about 2,000 km. In Mexico, it is called the Rio Bravo. It is also governed by treaties between these two countries.
“ These buoys will prevent people from approaching the border. And this process begins more or less right away “, had also announced the governor during his press conference.
Lone star, the last anti-migrant program in a long series
This device is part of theoperation Lone Star set up by Greg Abbott in the spring of 2021 to stem “the migration crisis” at the border. Lone Star takes over operations Linebacker in 2005, Rio Grande in 2006, Border Star in 2007 or even Strong Safety in 2013. In all, Texas had nine programs in twenty years to drive illegal migrants out of its territory, set up by Republican governors Rick Perry then Greg Abbott.
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“Defend its borders”
Steve McCraw, director of the department in charge of public safety, for his part clarified during this conference that the system was intended to deter migrants from attempting the crossing and drowning – four people drowned last week according to the governor. – and that it would be deployed over approximately 300 meters at the height of a waypoint called Eagle Pass.
Governor Greg Abbott regularly accuses Democratic President Joe Biden of not taking the necessary steps to prevent the arrival of waves of migrants from Mexico, and has announced that he will take action himself.
The US federal administration did not immediately react to this announcement, but a local entrepreneur took the lead on Saturday to try to block the measure. Jessie Fuentesowner of Epi’s Canoe and Kayak Team, a company that notably organizes kayak tours, took legal action ” because the site planned for the installation of these buoys is exactly where he organizes his activities and this will affect his operations “, told AFP his lawyer, Carlos Flores. According to him the governor is not ” competent and this type of installation requires federal authorization.
The governor for his part responded on Twitter that the state of Texas had “ the constitutional right to defend its borders “.
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(with AFP)