December 01, 2023

Statement from Congressman Castro on Appeals Court Order for Texas to Remove Border Buoys from Rio Grande

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) issued the following statement after the conservative Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the state of Texas to remove dangerous floating buoys installed in the Rio Grande River as part of Operation Lone Star:

“I’ve seen Governor Abbott’s border buoys for myself. They’re illegal and dangerous. I applaud the Justice Department for today’s hard-fought victory in the conservative Fifth Circuit and look forward to seeing these death traps removed from the Rio Grande.”

Congressman Castro has repeatedly raised concerns about the buoys in the Rio Grande and other dangerous aspects of Operation Lone Star (OLS). In August, Congressman Castro led members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Texas Democratic delegation on a trip to Eagle Pass, Texas to see the buoys and razor wire in the river and to engage with local authorities and community members about the impact of OLS on asylum-seekers, federal immigration enforcement, and the local community.

In July, Congressman Castro led 87 House Democrats – including all members of the Texas Democratic delegation and the chairs of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Asian-Pacific American Caucus, in a letter calling on the Biden administration to assert its authority over federal immigration policy and foreign relations to investigate OLS and pursue legal action to stop the cruelty against migrants that is at the heart of the operation.

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