President Donald Trump’s administration is gearing up to clamp down further on illegal crossings from Mexico by installing floating buoy barriers in the Rio Grande.
The Washington Examiner reported Wednesday that the Trump administration plans to place a 17-mile-long buoy wall in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas.
‘Gov. Abbott deployed them soon after and proved that they were very effective.’
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R), under former President Joe Biden in 2023, installed the state’s own buoy barriers to curb the nation’s illegal immigration crisis, particularly in the highly trafficked Eagle Pass area. The interconnected inflatable sphere buoys were four feet wide and acted as a floating fence that, when grabbed, would spin to prevent illegal aliens from being able to climb over.
It was the first time such a deterrent had been deployed along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the move faced legal challenges from the Biden administration’s Department of Justice. The lawsuit claimed that Texas violated federal law by failing to obtain authorization to install the barrier. It also argued that the buoys created both environmental and safety concerns.
Trump’s DOJ is expected to drop the case against Texas over its buoy wall.
According to the Washington Examiner, the first Trump administration’s Border Patrol initially developed the idea of installing floating barriers. However, it never did so due to the administration change.
After former Border Patrol agent Mike Banks was hired as Texas’ border czar, the state rolled out the plan independently. Banks is now the national Border Patrol chief.
The Washington Examiner reported that Texas wants to gift its 1,000-foot barrier to the Trump administration.
Selene Rodriguez with the Texas Public Policy Foundation told the news outlet that the state’s implementation of the buoy wall proved effective at deterring illegal crossings.
“Left to fend for ourselves, Texas found innovative solutions to secure our border and support our law enforcement,” Rodriguez stated. “The buoy barrier was a necessary measure that proved further action can be taken, and we are happy to see that measure now taken by the Trump administration.”
Border czar Tom Homan told the Washington Examiner that the floating wall is “a great border barrier concept.”
“[Border Patrol] was studying their use at the end of Trump 45 and thought they were an excellent method to secure the border and save lives,” Homan said. “They were not deployed because the administration changed hands. Gov. Abbott deployed them soon after and proved that they were very effective. Border barriers such as walls and buoys work. The data proves it.”
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