Not good news.
Texas implemented a contentious strategy involving the placement of vibrant orange buoys in the midst of the Rio Grande, a tactic often colloquially termed the “floating border wall.” However, an evaluation conducted by The Wall Street Journal reveals that this approach has not proven particularly effective thus far.
While the 1,000-foot-long chain spanning the shallow waters near Eagle Pass, Texas has prevented migrants from crossing directly over it, individuals are circumventing this barrier by entering the river at alternative locations along the Rio Grande, as detailed in the report.
Moreover, the influx of migrants has surged to unprecedented levels, as highlighted in the same report.
Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber, who also possesses Border Patrol experience, dismisses the floating wall as a wasteful endeavor, describing it as more of a political spectacle than an efficient solution.
Conversely, the office of Governor Greg Abbott asserts that the impenetrable floating wall serves its intended purpose, which is to channel migrants toward legal points of entry, according to a spokesperson cited in the newspaper.
Between October 2022 and July, Border Patrol apprehended around 318,000 migrants at Eagle Pass, the location of the buoys. Comparatively, approximately 376,000 migrants were apprehended at the same spot the previous year before the buoys’ deployment.
The introduction of these buoys in July formed part of Operation Lone Star, a state-funded initiative costing $9.5 billion, which aims to bolster border security at the state level, addressing perceived shortcomings in federal border security. Despite a lawsuit from the Department of Justice alleging Texas’ violation of federal law, the state intends to install additional buoys.
In the words of Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez, “We don’t require authorization from the federal government to carry out our activities. It has now essentially become our responsibility to play a role in border security.” This statement was made in July to The Wall Street Journal.