Current:Home > InvestJudge temporarily blocks federal officials from removing razor wire set up by Texas to deter border crossings-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Judge temporarily blocks federal officials from removing razor wire set up by Texas to deter border crossings
View Date:2025-01-11 08:21:14
Washington — A federal judge on Monday temporarily barred the Biden administration and Border Patrol agents from removing the razor wire Texas state officials have set up to hinder the entry of migrants along the border with Mexico, with limited exceptions, such as medical emergencies.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Alia Moses blocked federal officials from removing, scrapping, disassembling or encumbering concertina wire that Texas state authorities assembled near the border town of Eagle Pass to impede the passage of migrants entering the country illegally. Moses said federal officials could only remove the wire to "provide or obtain emergency medical aid."
The order is an early legal victory for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and other Texas officials in their latest lawsuit against the Biden administration, which has found itself defending most of its major immigration policies from lawsuits filed by officials in the Lone Star state and other GOP-led states. The ruling, however, will not be the final say on the matter.
The Texas lawsuit
When it filed its lawsuit last week, Texas said Border Patrol agents were cutting its razor wire to facilitate the entry of migrants into the U.S. In a statement after the ruling, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said federal agents were seen three days later "escalating their efforts to destroy Texas's border barriers, using heavy machinery such as forklifts to uproot large sections of fencing to facilitate mass entry." That prompted his request for the restraining order that was approved Monday.
"By acting quickly and monitoring their actions closely, we were able to secure a restraining order, and I am confident we will continue to prevail," Paxton said in a statement.
Moses' temporary restraining order will last for two weeks, through Nov. 13. She scheduled a hearing on the case for Nov. 7.
Administration officials have said Border Patrol agents sometimes cut Texas' razor wire to provide medical assistance to migrants in distress and because they need to process migrants who have already set foot on U.S. soil.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the specifics in the case, but said Border Patrol agents "have a responsibility under federal law to take those who have crossed onto U.S. soil without authorization into custody for processing, as well as to act when there are conditions that put our workforce or migrants at risk." The department will "of course" comply with the order, the spokesperson said.
U.S. law requires federal immigration agents to process migrants to determine whether they should be deported, released, detained or transferred to another agency once they reach American soil, which is the middle of the Rio Grande in Texas' case.
A larger feud
The feud over the razor wire is the latest clash between the federal government and Abbott, who has accused President Biden, a Democrat, of not doing enough to deter illegal border crossings, which have reached record high levels over the past two years.
In fiscal year 2023, which ended on Sept. 30, Border Patrol recorded over 2 million apprehensions of migrants along the Mexican border, federal data show. It was only the second time the agency has surpassed that threshold.
Along with deploying National Guard units to the southern border to set up razor wire and impede the entry of migrants, Texas has been arresting some migrants on state trespassing charges and busing thousands of asylum-seekers to Democratic-led cities like New York and Chicago, without notifying local authorities.
Camilo Montoya-GalvezCamilo Montoya-Galvez is the immigration reporter at CBS News. Based in Washington, he covers immigration policy and politics.
TwitterveryGood! (3629)
Related
- The Best Corduroy Pants Deals from J.Crew Outlet, Old Navy, Levi’s & More, Starting at $26
- 'The Crown' fact check: How did Will and Kate meet? Did the queen want to abdicate throne?
- 'Wonka' is a candy-coated prequel
- 2-year-old Virginia girl dies after accidentally shooting herself at Hampton home: Police
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- Elon Musk plans to launch a university in Austin, Texas
- Michigan court rejects challenges to Trump’s spot on 2024 primary ballot
- AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
- Rōki Sasaki is coming to MLB: Dodgers the favorite to sign Japanese ace for cheap?
- Two University of Florida scientists accused of keeping their children locked in cages
Ranking
- Halle Berry surprises crowd in iconic 2002 Elie Saab gown from her historic Oscar win
- Oregon’s top court hears arguments in suit filed by GOP senators seeking reelection after boycott
- Argentina announces a 50% devaluation of its currency as part of shock economic measures
- Gunmen kill 11 people, injure several others in an attack on a police station in Iran, state TV says
- To Protect the Ozone Layer and Slow Global Warming, Fertilizers Must Be Deployed More Efficiently, UN Says
- Big Bang Theory actress Kate Micucci says she had surgery for lung cancer despite never smoking a cigarette
- Americans agree that the 2024 election will be pivotal for democracy, but for different reasons
- Former Turkish soccer team president gets permanent ban for punching referee
Recommendation
-
Former Disney Star Skai Jackson Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Her Boyfriend
-
Live updates | As fighting rages in Gaza, a US envoy is set to meet with the Palestinian president
-
The Sweet Way Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker Are Incorporating Son Rocky Into Holiday Traditions
-
Biden. Rolling Stones. Harrison Ford. Why older workers are just saying no to retirement
-
Kathy Bates likes 'not having breasts' after her cancer battle: 'They were like 10 pounds'
-
Maren Morris opens up about love life after divorce from Ryan Hurd
-
More nature emojis could be better for biodiversity
-
Coca-Cola recalled 2,000 Diet Coke, Sprite, Fanta cases due to possible contamination