CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Eight Republican presidential hopefuls took to the debate stage last night, all promising to beef up border security.
It is an issue that continues to put Texas on the national stage. It played out in court in Austin this week, where a federal judge heard arguments on whether to remove a floating buoy barrier on the Rio Grande.
The Justice Department wants Texas to immediately remove the buoys that are being held in place by concrete blocks. In fact, last month, the DOJ ordered Gov. Greg Abbott to do so.
However, Abbott refused, saying the deterrent is a necessary part of Operation Lone Star because the federal government isn't doing its job.
He not only points to the continuing tries by immigrants to illegally enter the U.S. through Texas but also to ongoing drug smuggling attempts to bring fentanyl into the country through our state.
Texas political reporter Jason Whitely told 3NEWS that one thing Abbott has responded to is reports that most of the barrier was on the Mexican side of the border.
"The state did have heavy machinery out there inside the Rio Grande, trying to scoot these buoys back closer to the Texas shoreline," he said. "At the end of the day, the Rio Grande is an international body of water and is subject to treaties, but whatever happens with this court case, you can bet it is likely going to be a political win for Governor Abbott."
The DOJ said in their original letter to the governor that the buoys raised humanitarian concerns and that installing them was done without permission and violated a federal act.
Judge David Ezra asked attorneys on both sides to submit their closing arguments in writing by 4 p.m. Friday.
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