Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to expand a floating border barrier in anticipation of a migrant surge ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, according to a report.
Lone Star State officials are reportedly surveying parts of the Rio Grande near Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, and more bright-orange buoys could go up as soon as Wednesday, according to NewsNation.
The outlet reports that the Texas Department of Public Safety has been prepping for an increase in illegal border-crossing from migrants fearful of a crackdown once Trump, 78, returns to the White House in January.
The president-elect has vowed to undertake the largest deportation operation in US history when he assumes office.
Trump is also expected to reimpose several measures aimed at curbing illegal border-crossings, such as the “Remain in Mexico” policy which during the 45th president’s first term required asylum seekers to wait for their immigration hearings south of the border.
Abbott, 67, ordered the construction of a 1,000-foot-long section of interconnected 4-foot-wide sphere buoys – that spin when grabbed – in the dangerous river dividing Texas and Mexico last year to deter record-levels of illegal migrant crossings.
The buoy barrier was erected in a section of the Rio Grande known as a hot spot for human and drug smuggling.
On Saturday, Abbott posted a video on X touting the floating marine barrier.
“The buoys reinforce our efforts to deter and repel illegal immigration,” the governor wrote. “Despite the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to remove these barriers from the river, that is exactly where they will stay.”
Abbott’s buoy wall – as well as other measures he’s deployed to counter illegal immigration – has faced several legal challenges.
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in July that the buoys could remain in place – striking down a lower court ruling – while a broader federal lawsuit plays out.
The Biden-Harris administration has accused Texas of violating the federal Rivers and Harbor Act by installing the barriers in navigable water without obtaining permission from the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The water-based barrier, designed by the company Cochrane USA, cost the state nearly $1 million.
Abbott’s office did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
