Texas’ floating Rio Grande barrier can stay for now, court rules as larger legal battle persists

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A floating barrier in the Rio Grande meant to discourage migrants from trying to cross from Mexico into Texas can stay for now, a full federal appeals court has ruled. The Tuesday decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a previous decision by a panel of the court. The shorter-term ruling is the latest development in a new standoff between Texas and President Joe Biden’s administration over immigration on the state’s 1,200-mile border with Mexico. The broader lawsuit in district court is set for a trial beginning Aug. 6, where the Biden administration accuses Texas of violating the federal Rivers and Harbor Act. The barrier is set along one of the busiest hotspots for illegal border crossings.