An appeals court is allowing Texas to temporarily keep its floating buoys on the Rio Grande River as the legal battle ricochets through the courts.
The buoys were placed in July to stop migrants from crossing into the US from Mexico.
A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the barriers were a threat to safety and diplomatic ties, asking that they be moved by 15 September.
But Texas filed an immediate legal challenge, which has been upheld.
On Thursday night, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals issued a temporary stay on the lower court ruling while it looks at the case.
Texas argued its safety and sovereignty would be harmed if the buoys were to be moved.
The Department of Justice sued Texas over the water barriers, citing humanitarian and environmental concerns.
Governor Greg Abbott had rejected the lower court ruling on Wednesday, vowing to fight it in court.
In Wednesday’s ruling, US District Judge David Ezra, an appointee of former President Ronald Reagan, questioned whether the buoys had even deterred migrants from crossing.
He wrote there was no “credible evidence that the buoy barrier as installed has significantly curtailed illegal immigration”.
Judge Ezra also raised concerns that Texas’ actions could harm relations between the US and Mexico.
Source : BBC
