Lawmakers in Mexico submitted a formal complaint to the U.S. after Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s administration dropped a floating barrier wall in the Rio Grande to prevent crossings.
From Fox News:
Mexico’ has sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. government saying Texas’ deployment of floating barriers along the Rio Grande may violate treaties on boundaries and water, Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said.
According to The Associated Press, Bárcena says Mexico will send an inspection team to the Rio Grande to see whether any part of the barrier – put in place to deter illegal immigration – extends into Mexico’s side of the border river.
Texas began rolling out the new floating barriers in early July, but migrant advocates have voiced concerns about drowning risks from the buoys. Environmentalists questioned the impact on the river.
Bárcena also complained about the installation of barbed wire on an island in the river near Eagle Pass, Texas, according to the AP.
Photos of the inflatable barriers show what appears to be a string of connected inflatable spheres that spin when someone attempts to scale them.
Abbott’s office says the barrier will “proactively prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry by making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border.”
“Thanks to the leadership and hard work of [Texas Department of Public Safety] Director [Steve] McCraw, General Thomas Suelzer, and their teams, Texas has pushed back against the swell of migrants and held the line to keep people out of Texas – but there’s more that needs to be done,” Abbott said. “The Texas Legislature has stepped up to make sure we continue to robustly respond to President Biden’s growing border crisis, including allocating $5.1 billion for border security.”
More over at Fox News:
Mexico submits complaint to US after Texas starts placing floating barriers along Rio Grande https://t.co/s1KCS7Yixw #FoxNews
— Laura Marklin (@LauraMarklin) July 17, 2023
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