Buoys, razor wire and more: A look at the border barriers in place to deter illegal migration

May 21, 2023

By Ken Molestina, Lexi Salazar

Updated on: July 24, 2023 / 10:11 PM / CBS Texas

NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - The Biden administration filed a lawsuit against Texas on Monday over the state's use of buoys to create a floating barrier in the Rio Grande.

The barrier was established this month as a way to deter illegal migrant crossings. It stretches about 1,000 feet, or about the length of three football fields.

Crossing the border illegally while trying to evade detection can already be a perilous journey, and drowning is one of the major risks. Just this month, four people, including an infant, drowned in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass while trying to cross the border.

Days later, the floating barrier was placed in the river. Some worry it will create an even more dangerous situation.

In an interview with CBS News Texas Monday, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokesperson Lt. Christopher Olivarez said the goal is for the floating barrier to deter migrants from even entering the Rio Grande in the first place.

"We have that in place to act as a deterrent, to discourage anyone from even stepping foot in the river," he said. "We don't want anyone to cross the river because we know it's very dangerous."

Olivarez said the buoys will remain in place for now, and there's a possibility more will be added if they prove to be effective at keeping people from crossing the border.

There have been reports of a net attached to the buoys, which has raised even more safety concerns. Olivarez said that those reports aren't accurate.

The floating barrier certainly isn't the only tool being used at the Texas-Mexico border to deter migration. Here's a rundown of what other border barriers are currently in place:

Prior to joining CBS 11 News in January 2014 as anchor and reporter, Ken was most recently a reporter for WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he was a news anchor and reporter at KVIA-TV in El Paso, where he focused on crime and public safety reporting.

First published on July 24, 2023 / 9:26 PM

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