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In a divided 5-4 opinion, the United States Supreme Court granted an emergency request to allow Border Patrol agents to remove razor wire installed by Texas at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh said they would have rejected the Biden administration's request to allow Border Patrol agents to remove the razor wire fencing.
Texas Governor Gregg Abbott ordered the installation of razor wire near the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass to block migrants trying to enter the country illegally. After Border Patrol agents cut through the razor wire, Texas filed a lawsuit arguing the agents damaged state property and were trespassing.
A federal judge initially ruled in favor of the Biden administration, but that decision was overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which said agents could only move the fencing if there was a medical emergency.
While the Border Patrol agents now have the authority to move the razor wire, they cannot remove buoys Texas installed in the Rio Grande to prevent migrants from crossing the river. That matter is currently making its way through the courts.