Why do the courts seem to always side with the Democrats?
Texas officials have been instructed to dismantle the floating border wall along the Rio Grande by September 15, dealing a setback to Governor Greg Abbott. In response, Abbott has pledged to take the legal battle to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Additionally, U.S. District Judge David Ezra’s ruling dictates that Texas cannot install any similar structures in the Rio Grande without prior approval. These rulings came on Wednesday.
According to Newsweek, the buoyant barriers, roughly equivalent to wrecking balls in size, were initially placed in the river near Eagle Pass, Texas, back in July. These barriers have since garnered significant online attention, with critics decrying the approximately 1,000-foot floating barricade as inhumane.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a federal lawsuit at the end of July, alleging that the Abbott administration violated federal law by constructing the barrier. Texas officials have defended the floating wall, claiming it’s an effort to secure the U.S.-Mexico border against migrants and arguing that the river’s shallow nature exempts it from federal regulations. Judge Ezra disagreed with this defense, stating that Texas had violated the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 by not obtaining prior approval for the barrier.
In his ruling, Judge Ezra criticized Governor Abbott, asserting that the floating barriers were erected “without authorization of any kind, save the Governor’s directive.” The judge determined that the buoys were placed in a navigable waterway, necessitating a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, Ezra found Texas officials’ argument that the barrier served as a defense against a migrant “invasion” to be unconvincing.
The floating barrier is part of Governor Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star,” a multi-billion-dollar effort to secure the border against illegal border crossings. Texas has also employed controversial methods like the installation of razor-wire structures near Eagle Pass in July.
Governor Abbott, while asserting he did not require permission for Operation Lone Star and claiming “sovereign authority” over the state’s southern border, faced opposition from Judge Ezra, who noted that federal law explicitly mandates state compliance.
Appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, Judge Ezra stated that the court empathized with the goal of curbing illegal immigration and drug trafficking but emphasized that Texas must still adhere to federal law.
Shortly after the ruling, Governor Abbott announced on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the state planned to file an appeal. He placed blame on President Joe Biden, contending that Texas was taking action where the President had not. Abbott expressed confidence that the ruling would be overturned on appeal and pledged to continue efforts to secure the border, which include deploying Texas National Guard soldiers, Department of Public Safety troopers, and strategic barriers.