Judge Blocks Biden Administration from Removing Razor Wire Along U.S.-Mexico Border

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Biden administration from removing razor wire along the U.S.-Mexico border that was placed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Alia Moses of the Western District of Texas issued the ruling on Monday, which bars federal officials from removing, scrapping, disassembling or encumbering concertina wire that Texas state authorities assembled near the border town of Eagle Pass.

The razor wire was set up to hinder the entry of migrants along the border with Mexico, with limited exceptions, such as medical emergencies. Texas sued to stop the Border Patrol agents from cutting the wire, and Judge Moses ruled that the wire is the “property” of Texas. The ruling allows federal officials to only remove the wire to “provide or obtain emergency medical aid.”

In September, agents began regularly cutting through layers of razor wire in Eagle Pass as the sector became the epicenter of a migrant surge. The Biden administration has since been working to remove the wire, but the court’s ruling has put a temporary hold on the process.

The Biden administration has been working to create a more humane immigration system, and the razor wire has been seen as a symbol of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies. The court’s ruling will prevent the Biden administration from making any changes to the razor wire until the case is resolved.