On Tuesday, Texas responded to the Biden administration’s emergency appeal at the Supreme Court, urging the justices to keep Border Patrol from cutting through razor wire barriers that block agents from reaching migrants who enter the U.S. through the nation's southwest border, Courthouse News reports. Texas says the White House cannot use federal authority as an excuse to destroy Texas’ property and argued that the Supreme Court’s intervention is not necessary in the matter because the Fifth Circuit has already agreed to hear expedited arguments early next month.
At issue are the miles of concertina wire and shipping containers that are lining Texas’ border in an attempt to deter migrants from illegally entering the country. The state has spent $9 billion on its border security initiative, coined Operation Lone Star. To enter the U.S., migrants must cross the Rio Grande River. The new barrier prevents migrants from reaching the shore and border agents from reaching migrants. Border Patrol agents cut the wire, claiming that the barrier prevents it from carrying out its duty to arrest migrants who enter the country illegally. Texas responded by suing the government, claiming the Biden administration was trespassing. An appeals court ordered the federal government to halt its efforts, stating that agents may only cut through the wire in medical emergencies.