Construction crews in Eagle Pass, Texas, started building a brand new, historic floating border barrier near the area on Monday. The ultimate goal of the new project is to provide a strong deterrent for individuals contemplating crossing the border illegally in high-traffic areas along the Rio Grande. This is largely due to the fact that so many immigrants have died attempting to cross the river, making it a serious safety hazard to those trying to gain access to the United States.
However, not everyone is thrilled by the action that Gov. Abbott is taking to try to get a handle on the out-of-control border crisis raging along the state’s boundaries.
“What Abbott is doing is conducting an irresponsible experiment at the expense of federal and international law,” Steven Mumme, a scholar at the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico that specializes in transboundary environmental and natural resources management along the U.S.-Mexico border, went on to say about the new buoys being constructed.
According to the Texas Standard, Mumme then stated that the new floating barriers would alter the flow of the river, which is illegal, and would ultimately make changes to the boundary between the U.S. and Mexico. It remains to be seen if Biden or another federal group goes after Gov. Abbott and Texas because of that, or if it will stay silent in the hope of the border crisis calming down without his administration having to deal with it.
Over the course of the last week, a total of four individuals drowned in the Eagle Pass area, attempting to cross the river. Some individuals are concerned the barriers will make rescue missions more difficult. But it could also stop individuals from attempting to cross the first place, obviating the need for most rescue missions. It remains to be seen what happens on that front.
Mumme revealed that netting will be installed to prevent migrants from swimming beneath the buoys. He also said that he believes this will lead to debris being trapped by the nets and create additional hazards for those trying to cross. But, again, if the danger and difficulty deter them from crossing, then the hazards won’t come into play.