Federal Court Rules in Favor of Texas Border Razor Wire

A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Border Patrol agents cannot remove razor wire installed by Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border in Eagle Pass, marking a significant victory for the state in its ongoing immigration dispute with the Biden administration.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 decision granting Texas a preliminary injunction, determining that the state is entitled to protect its property without regulating Border Patrol operations.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated the ruling, stating, “It was shocking to me that the federal government would go out of their way to cut razor wire to allow illegals to cross when we’re just trying to protect our own land”.

Governor Greg Abbott announced on social media platform X that the state would continue expanding its border security measures. “We continue adding more razor wire border barrier,” Abbott wrote following the court’s decision.

The ruling affects approximately 29 miles of wire installed in the Eagle Pass area, where Texas had previously taken control of Shelby Park against the city’s wishes. Local activists have expressed concerns about the decision, with Amerika Garcia Grewal of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition calling the wire “a tool of war, not a humane border control measure”.

The Department of Homeland Security has not provided immediate comment on the court’s decision[1]. The case represents one of several ongoing legal disputes between Texas and federal authorities over border security measures.

Citations:
[1] https://www.npr.org/2024/11/27/g-s1-36115/texas-razor-wire-mexico-border
[2] https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-deploys-more-than-100-miles-of-razor-wire-to-secure-border
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcYkGXIwx9A
[4] https://www.texastribune.org/2024/11/27/texas-border-lawsuit-razor-wire-fence/
[5] https://www.ussteel.com/about-us/locations
[6] https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2024/11/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-nonprofit-that-serves-homeless-in-south-austin/
[7] https://m.usw.org/news/media-center/articles/2024/planned-u-s-steel-sale-meets-anger-skepticism-usw-vows-to-fight-to-make-sure-company-lives-up-to-obligations
[8] https://www.wesa.fm/economy-business/2024-09-12/u-s-steel-1-billion-threat-to-leave-blocked-deal