Texas Democrat claims 'barbaric' floating border wall has saw-like blades between buoys
EAGLE PASS, Texas - A Texas Democrat is speaking out against the controversial floating barriers being used along the Texas-Mexico border.
Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) traveled to Eagle Pass, Texas, where the barriers are being used, showed a section of the barrier that he claims has saw-like blades in between the buoys.
"The state says that they're not a danger to anybody. Now, when you look right here at this chainsaw type device right in the middle of these buoys," said Castro in a video posted online.
The Justice Department sued Texas to try to get the barriers removed.
"It's incredibly dangerous, incredibly inhumane. And that's the reason that I've said that it's barbaric because it is," said Castro.
Governor Greg Abbott's office responded, accusing Democrats, the White House and Mexico of spreading false information about the floating barriers.
"President Lopez Obrador and Democrats spreading false information that Texas’ marine barriers caused any death are flat-out wrong. Where was this outrage from Democrats when President Biden’s reckless open border policies encouraged migrants to make the dangerous and illegal trek across the border, ultimately taking the lives of over 850 migrants last year? These marine barriers help deter illegal river crossings, redirecting migrants to use one of the 29 international bridges on the Texas-Mexico border where they can safely and legally cross. No one drowns on a bridge.
As President Biden pulls Border Patrol agents off the border, Governors across the country are answering Governor Abbott’s call to send support to boost Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers working under Operation Lone Star to hold the line. Under the Governor's historic border mission, Texas is utilizing every tool and strategy to secure the border in the Biden Administration's absence, allocating more than $9 billion of Texas taxpayer money for border security, busing migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities, installing strategic barriers, and building our own border wall. Until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue taking historic action to respond to this ongoing crisis and protect Texans."
The marine barrier system is a floating wall that is about three football fields long and anchors to the riverbed.
The barrier was placed in the Rio Grande to push migrants to a point where they can be picked up by authorities or an international bridge.
Abbott's border advisor Mike Banks posted a response to Castro Thursday afternoon, claiming that because of President Biden’s open border policies more than 850,000 migrants died last year while attempting illegal crossings.
So far this year, according to Banks, 570,000 have died.
Banks went on to state that the number of deaths caused by the border buoys is zero.
Mexico recovers 2 bodies from the Rio Grande, one found near a floating barrier that Texas installed
Mexico’s Foreign Relations Department said the country had warned about the risks posed by the bright orange, wrecking ball-sized buoys on the Rio Grande.
The body of at least one person who drowned was found in the buoys last week.
Texas DPS said they believe the person drowned upstream from the barrier and floated into the buoys.