Texas's Immigration Issue

Ava Cai

December 20, 2024

The ongoing debate regarding the status of undocumented immigrants has spiked up in recent years in the state of Texas. In November, Governor Greg Abbott required Texas public hospitals to collect healthcare costs and other information on undocumented immigrants. This order was implemented through the Texas Health and Human Services and aimed at acquiring federal reimbursement for Texans who have been paying medical bills for these migrants. Governor Greg Abbott follows this request by stating, “Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.” 

Since his election in the same month, the governor of Texas has extended the buoy barrier and ignored urges from the federal government to halt. The construction of these buoys started as early as June of 2023 when Texas spent $1 million on building and placing buoys into the Rio Grande to prevent migrants from crossing into America. This was part of the $10 billion already spent on Operation Lone Star, which was a project launched by Governor Greg Abbott and aimed at improving the state’s border security in the south. 

On Monday, the Justice Department filed a suit against the construction of even more buoys, stating that it blocked the river and thus violated federal law and the 1970 Boundary Treaty between the U.S. and Mexico. In response, Governor Greg Abbott claimed that the president was responsible for the migrants who were crossing into Texas illegally and the buoy barriers were thus used as a safety measure to prevent drownings and other injuries. Andrew Mahaleris, the governor of Texas’ press secretary further describes the necessity of these buoys: “The floating marine barriers deployed by Texas were designed by Border Patrol to deny illegal entry. When President Biden refused to use them, Texas stepped up and deployed the barriers.” 

Initially, the district court sided with the federal government; however, the barriers were allowed to remain backed up by the Fifth Circuit of Appeals. In court, Attorney General Paxton argued that the barrier would significantly reduce the number of illegal border crossings as there is already a designated port of entry. The Fifth Circuit of Appeals ruled in favor of Texas and Attorney General Paxton said, “The federal district court abused its discretion when it ordered Texas to remove the buoys floating in the Rio Grande that prevented [migrants] from attempting a dangerous river crossing to enter America.” The buoys will remain put for the time being, but nothing is certain as both parties are distinctly determined to be heard.