Texas' floating border wall in portion of Rio Grande nearing completion
EAGLE PASS, Texas - The floating barrier wall in the Rio Grande is nearing completion. Work started over the weekend.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said it is a way to stop immigrants from crossing into Eagle Pass, Texas.
One lawsuit has already been filed against Texas because of the floating border barrier.
DPS said the floating barrier is to make it safer and prevent drownings.
The installation of the floating barrier wall is expected to be complete by the end of this week.
DPS Lt. Chris Olivarez spoke to FOX News about the progress this week.
"The river is very dangerous, so now having this marine barrier in the middle of the river will detour any unlawful crossings, will prevent drownings, and will prevent human smugglers from bringing people across the river into the country illegally," Olivarez said.
There is 1,000 feet of marine barrier being put in the middle of the river, about the length of three football fields.
A common question asked is: couldn’t someone just swim under the barrier?
Olivarez said the buoys are four-feet in diameter and one-foot underwater, making it difficult for someone to go under or over it.
"Prevent drownings. During the 4th of July holiday, we as a state recovered four bodies, including an infant child, from drowning. The river is very dangerous, the water is very high," Olivarez said.
Floating border wall arrives at Texas-Mexico border
1,000 feet of the floating barriers arrived at the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass.
There has been criticism of Operation Lone Star since it started.
Now, with the floating barrier being installed, there has been at least one lawsuit filed against the state.
"The whole idea of the challenge is it is the responsibility, duty, and prerogative of the federal government to decide how our borders are protected," former federal prosecutor John Helms explained. "So if the Biden administration doesn’t seem to care, seems to let it happen, then I think that is a pretty good answer to that question."
Olivarez said news of the lawsuit is not stopping their plan.
"We’ve felt that criticism, and even now with this, it’s not going to stop what we are doing. We have to secure the border. The federal government has not done anything for the last two years," Olivarez said.
FOX 4 asked DPS when more of the barrier wall will be installed. They said they will see how effective the first batch is before adding more.