In a pivotal legal win for Texas, a federal appeals court ruled that Border Patrol cannot remove razor wire placed along the U.S.-Mexico border, intensifying the ongoing battle between state and federal border security policies.
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In its conflict over immigration policy with the Biden government, Texas has won a major legal triumph before a federal appeals court. Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals imposed a limited preliminary injunction prohibiting Border Patrol agents from passing over razor wire Texas had placed along the border close to Eagle Pass.
With this 2-1 judgment, a lower court's ruling is reversed, therefore ushering another chapter in the divisive state-federal conflict on border security. Previously suing the Biden government, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said federal officers had destroyed state property by cutting through the wire meant to discourage illegal crossings.
Paxton said following the ruling, "It's shocking that the federal government would actively destroy obstacles meant to protect our border." Emphasizing Texas's will to strengthen border barriers including razor wire and floating roadblocks, Governor Greg Abbott also applauded the decision.
With over 29 miles of razor wire as of September, Eagle Pass has become a major point in Texas' border security plan. Often running counter to federal recommendations, the state has escalated enforcement actions.
The Biden government has not yet responded on the decision, which highlights the wider conflicts between Texas's strict attitude to border security and federal immigration policy. The lawsuit might create a big precedent in the state-federal immigration issue.
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