Court Overturns Order to Remove Texas’ Rio Grande Barrier

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Tuesday overturned a lower court’s decision requiring Texas to relocate a 1,000-foot floating barrier in the Rio Grande, installed to prevent illegal border crossings. The Fifth Circuit found that the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas had abused its discretion when it ordered Texas to relocate the buoys from the river last summer. Tuesday’s ruling permits the barrier system to temporarily remain in the river until a trial is held. The Justice Department sued Texas after the buoys were placed in the river in July 2023, alleging that the barrier was unlawful. The district court had previously granted a preliminary injunction directing Texas to move the barrier to the riverbank....