AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A floating barrier in the Rio Grande meant to discourage migrants from trying to cross from Mexico into Texas can stay for now, a full federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a previous decision by a panel of the court. The ruling is the latest development in a standoff between Texas and President Joe Biden’s administration over immigration on the state’s 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) border with Mexico.
In December, a divided panel of the 5th Circuit had sided with a federal district judge in Texas who said the buoys must be moved. The entire appeals court on Tuesday said the court abused its discretion in granting the preliminary injunction.
The broader lawsuit in district court is set for a trial beginning on Aug. 6, where the Biden administration accuses Texas of violating the federal Rivers and Harbor Act. Vanita Gupta, associate attorney general, said Texas “flouted federal law” and risks damaging U.S. foreign policy.