Fifth Circuit Court Orders Removal of Texas' Rio Grande Floating Barrier

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court's ruling ordering Texas to remove the floating barrier it deployed in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass. The court found that the river is navigable where the barrier was placed and that Texas needed permission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before deploying it. Texas argued that the barrier was meant to save lives and deter illegal crossings, but the court stated that Texas has not provided concrete evidence to support these claims. Governor Greg Abbott plans to seek a rehearing and potentially take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.