Shocking news has been making the rounds regarding the case of migrants entering into the United States. Since last year, there has been a significant increase and surge in the number of migrants crossing from Mexico to the U.S., and in some cases illegally. As a way to deter more migrants into entering the country, Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, has decided to take action and announced the state’s plan to place a 1,000-foot string of buoys in the middle of the Rio Grande, “the latest in a series of escalating maneuvers by state leaders to address illegal crossings”.

As stated by Mr. Abbott, the barrier, a floating border wall with four-foot-wide buoys, would be placed first in the water off the city of Eagle Pass, an already heavily fortified section of the border between the U.S. and Mexico that Texas officials have noted is a hot spot for migrant crossings. The floating barrier will cover only a relatively small section of the over 1,250-mile border in the Texas state; however, Mr. Abbott has assured that the buoys can be transported to other prime locations and expanded in the future if necessary. According to The New York Times, “‘We can put mile after mile after mile of these buoys,’ Mr. Abbott said at a news conference, flanked by photos showing what the barrier would look like once deployed on July 7. ‘When we’re dealing with gatherings of 100 or 1,000, one of the goals is to slow down and deter as many of them as possible’” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval).

The decision made by Mr. Abbott, who is a third-time Republican, was the most recent attempt and effort by Republican state leaders to focus on the large numbers of migrants who are seeking asylum in the United States, many of them crossing into the U.S. through Texas. More than a dozen other Republican leaders, including the governors of Florida, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia, have taken action in sending local police and state National Guard members to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to a request made by Mr. Abbott. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has also been credited for helping fly three dozen migrants on two recent charter flights from El Paso, Texas, to Sacramento, California, in an effort to combat the immigrant-friendly policies of California Democrats that he shared had “incentivized” more additional migrants to migrate across the border. Despite efforts made by the federal government and President Biden to decrease the number of migrants crossing into the country, they are still nevertheless garnering criticism from Republican leaders for not doing more to deter the arrival of thousands of migrants every day.

The floating buoy barrier is one of many steps Texas has taken in its multibillion-dollar program to deter crossings, “including the deployment of National Guard members and state police and the spreading of concertina wire along the banks of the Rio Grande”. The Texas Legislature also approved a two-year budget, which included 5.1 billion dollars of spending on border security. As stated by writers of the same article, “The first stretch of floating barrier, built by Cochrane USA, would cost $1 million, said Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Other versions of the barrier, though not those depicted in Mr. Abbott’s presentation, include spikes” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval).

Reactions to these efforts made by Mr. Abbott has been quite positive, especially within officials and residents. Officials in Eagle Pass, a small city that has long struggled with the arrivals of overwhelming numbers of migrants, showed approval of Mr. Abbott’s decision and efforts. As said by The New York Times, “‘If this means less people will be crossing illegally through the heart of Eagle Pass, we support it,’ said Rolando Salinas Jr., the mayor. ‘We want to avoid any interruption to our international bridges and our downtown businesses’” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval). When questioned if he was concerned of the possibility of dangerous conditions that the barrier may lead to for those who attempt to swim, Mr. Salinas stated that there was never an intention or efforts to make Rio Grande an official crossing point for migrants. The New York Times noted, “‘People shouldn’t be crossing there to begin with,’ he said” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval). Roberto De Leon, the chief deputy sheriff in Maverick County, which includes Eagle Pass, expressed that many migrants have been drowning in their area, and as an effect deputies in their area have been discovering and pulling one or two dead bodies from the river every day. Writers of The New York Times reported, “‘Anything that keeps us from finding a dead body on the side of the river, I’m for,’ he said” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval). Officials on the Mexican side of the border, in the Coahuila state, have not responded to a request for their comments about the situation. However, immigration advocates in Texas shared that Governor Abbott’s plans to put a barrier in the middle of the Rio Grande “amounted to another political stunt at the expense of desperate people”. The New York Times said, “‘He is using this as political theater, to promote his MAGA agenda, and it’s not going to stop people from coming,’ said Rodolfo Rosales Jr., a state director with the Texas branch of the League of United Latin American Citizens” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval). Mr. McGraw shared that building the barrier had gone through testing, and though it was possible to climb over it, it was still difficult. Asked if the new barrier would create new dangers for migrants, specifically those traveling with children, Mr. McGraw stated it would help families avoid entering the river. According to the writers of the same article, “‘This is a deterrent from even coming in the water,’ Mr. McCraw said” (J. David Goodman and Edgar Sandoval).