Abbott to Expand Rio Grande Buoys Despite Declining Border Crossings

Gov. Greg Abbott announced he’ll expand the floating buoy barrier along the Rio Grande even as crossings have drastically declined.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Abbott said Wednesday he was preparing to add more buoys to the already 1,000 feet of floating barriers in the Rio Grande.

“Texas placed more buoys in the Rio Grande River this morning,” Abbott wrote in a tweet. “Despite the Biden-Harris Administration’s attempts to shut down our border security efforts, the buoys are here to stay. We won’t back down from our mission to deter & repel illegal immigration.”

The buoys have been highly controversial and have been subject to numerous lawsuits from the federal government, arguing Abbott does not have the authority to deploy the floating barrier. An initial ruling ordered Abbott to remove the barriers, however this decision was later reversed thanks to an appeal. The case is still tangled up in the courts but now Abbott can continue expanding the barrier.

He did not specify how many more feet of buoys he planned to add to the barrier, however, last year he planned to have over 3,000 feet of buoys in the Rio Grande river.

“We’re not letting up at all, we’re continuing our efforts,” Abbott told Fox News on Tuesday.

Abbott’s move comes after the Texas Department of Public safety has begun increasing its presence at the border since Election Day, preparing for a potential surge in migrants trying to cross the border before Donald Trump takes office.

“Displaying a show of force will effectively deter the potential for a mass migration event,” DPS Lt. Christopher Olivarez said.

Despite these efforts, the crossings have drastically decreased. In October, the agency reported 27,000 migrants had been encountered at the border, far lower than the average of 44,000 people per month during the last few months of Trump’s first term.