Earlier this year, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unveiled a new floating barrier system that the Trump administration plans to deploy along portions of the U.S.-Mexico border, with a goal of eventually covering up to 500 miles of waterways along the Rio Grande.
Federal authorities have gradually expanded the installation of the giant cylindrical buoys in South Texas. The latest deployment took place this week in Eagle Pass, where nearly 300 additional buoys were installed in the Rio Grande.
According to Border Report, the buoys arrived last week at Shelby Park, a 47-acre public park owned by the city of Eagle Pass that sits directly across the river from the Mexican border city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila.
When the project was announced in January, then-U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said each buoy measures approximately 15 feet in length and 5 feet in diameter. Officials said the cylindrical design makes the barriers difficult to climb, as the buoys rotate when weight is applied, preventing migrants from crossing the river.
The barriers have drawn criticism from immigrant-rights advocates and environmental groups, who argue they pose dangers to migrants attempting to cross into the U.S. and could disrupt the Rio Grande's ecosystem. Environmental experts have warned that the structures may alter the river's natural flow and potentially worsen flooding in some areas.
Federal officials have defended the project, saying the new buoys provide greater flotation and are equipped with fiber-optic sensors capable of detecting attempts to climb over or tamper with the barriers.
"These barriers will make it far more difficult for illegal aliens, drug smugglers and human traffickers to cross the river and other waterways where they are deployed," Noem said when announcing the project. "Securing these waterways protects Americans and also saves lives by discouraging dangerous river crossings."
Border Report said America Garcia-Grewal, co-director of the Frontera Foundation, has raised concerns with local officials over both the barriers and public access restrictions around Shelby Park.
In letters sent to Eagle Pass city leaders, Garcia-Grewal argued that the installation raises significant civil rights and public access concerns. She also alleged that residents have been prevented from entering portions of the public park while the buoys are being staged and installed.
"Unidentified individuals are occupying Shelby Park without formal city approval and are actively instructing residents and community members of Eagle Pass to leave our public park," the letter states.
As of earlier this month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said approximately 15 miles of floating barriers had been installed along the Rio Grande, while another 112 miles were under construction.
