After signing six border bills into law on Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new tactic Operation Lone Star officers were deploying on the Rio Grande River: a 1,000 mile floating barrier to block illegal entry.
“What we are doing now is securing the border at the border,” Abbott said, but officials wanted to prevent illegal foreign nationals from “getting to the border” between ports of entry. The new marine barriers are being deployed immediately, he said.
Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said “no one needs to come through illegally between the ports of entry. It’s dangerous.” Those who do “are risking themselves and putting themselves in harm’s way,” he said. “The only one it enriches is the Mexican cartels.”
The new marine barrier can be quickly deployed and moved at any time, he said. The idea was created by Border Patrol, which had already designed and tested it, he said. The Texas Military Department and Department of Public Safety also looked at risk mitigation to ensure people wouldn’t get hurt or drown. He said it was a “proactive way” to prevent illegal entry.
