A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the Biden administration from removing razor wire barriers installed by Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass. The wire, part of a broader effort by the state to deter illegal immigration, has drawn both praise and criticism amid an ongoing debate over border security.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans issued a 2-1 decision on Wednesday, reversing a lower court ruling and granting Texas a limited preliminary injunction. The court’s ruling allows the state to maintain the controversial barrier while legal disputes continue, as first reported by The Texas Tribune.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who filed the lawsuit last year, accused federal Border Patrol agents of illegally cutting the wire. “It was shocking to me that the federal government would go out of their way to cut razor wire to allow illegals to cross when we’re just trying to protect our own land,” he said during a Newsmax interview.“This wasn’t their land. This was our land, our private property. It had nothing due to the federal government. So this is a good win for Texas, a good win for the country, that this court recognized our ability to protect our land.”
Governor Greg Abbott, a vocal advocate for heightened border security, welcomed the decision and pledged to expand the barrier. “We continue adding more razor wire border barrier,” Abbott posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The appeals court ruling coincided with a high-profile discussion between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The leaders addressed immigration, border security, and the ongoing fentanyl crisis during their Wednesday conversation.
Sheinbaum, speaking about Mexico’s approach to managing migration, emphasized her administration’s efforts to prevent migrant caravans from reaching the northern border.
“I had an excellent conversation with President Donald Trump,” Sheinbaum wrote on X. “We discussed Mexico’s strategy on the migration phenomenon and I shared that caravans are not arriving at the northern border because they are being taken care of in Mexico.”
Trump described the conversation as “wonderful” and praised Sheinbaum’s commitment to curbing migration. He announced on Truth Social that Mexico would implement measures to stop migration through its territory, saying this would “go a long way towards stopping the illegal invasion of the USA.”
