In a 5-4 vote Monday, the Supreme Court grant an emergency request by the Biden administration to allow Border Patrol agents to cut through razor-wire on the U.S.-Mexico border that Texas had installed to deter illegal crossings.
The Biden administration has argued the wire is preventing agents from performing their duties, including preventing them from reaching migrants who have already crossed into the country.
Texas GOP Gov. Gregg Abbott installed the razor-wire as part of “Operation Lone Star,” an immigration plan aiming to curb illegal immigration, which has caused friction with the White House.
Texas previously placed buoys in the Rio Grande to prevent crossings, leading the Biden administration to sue. The barrier currently remains in place as litigation ensues.
Texas sued after the Border Patrol after agents cut through some of the razor wire, arguing that the agents had trespassed and damaged state property. A federal judge ruled in favor of the administration, but the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently reversed this decision, stating that agents could not cut or move the wire unless it was a medical emergency.
While the Biden administration’s application was pending, the acrimony between Texas and the federal government worsened.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ignored the Biden administration’s request that the state back off its takeover of a public park at Eagle Pass. This followed an event where three people drowned while attempting to cross the Rio Grande.
