Texas Land Official: Biden Using Endangered Species Act to Sink Floating Border Wall Smells Extremely Fishy
The state land commissioner of Texas is raising a red flag over the Biden administration’s newest use of the Endangered Species Act at the state’s southern border.
Texas General Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham accused the federal government of misusing the law to interfere with the Lone Star State’s law enforcement operations at the Rio Grande River.
The Department of Justice sued Texas in July, demanding the state halt the use of buoys in the river to deter illegal aliens from crossing the international boundary, according to the Washington Examiner.
The Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior listed two species of mussels as “endangered” the day after the lawsuit was filed — an act that could jeopardize the buoys.
The Rio Grande would be designated a “critical habitat” for the mussels through the action.
More images from Eagle Pass, Texas taken Monday, August 14, 2023.
1. Buoys on the ground at Shelby Park (couldn’t safely access the ones in the river).
2. Beautiful mural in Piedras Negras, Mexico.
3. Group of migrants on the United States river banks.
4. No trespassing sign… pic.twitter.com/BXX3vc23QP— Sara Button? (@sara_button) August 20, 2023
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the buoys in June as an innovative strategy to stop infiltration of the state’s border.
The Department of Justice had cited supposed threats to navigation and public safety in its lawsuit, rather than aquatic creatures.
[firefly_poll]
“Unfortunately, the Biden administration is turning the Endangered Species Act into a political tool to push an agenda rather than ensuring true conservation efforts are implemented,” Buckingham said of the move.
“This administration is proposing to roll back reasonable improvements made to this law and are simply ignoring the successful accomplishments of private preservationists, state, and local land managers by adding more federal red tape regulations.”
In a July tweet, Buckingham pledged that the Texas General Land Office would cooperate with law enforcement against illegal immigration.
The security of our border is imperative to the security of our country. Texas leads America and America leads the world.
As your Land Commissioner, you have my promise that the @TXGLO will use all available resources to gain complete operational control of our border. pic.twitter.com/aUV5mFcsqv
— Dawn Buckingham (@DrBuckinghamTX) July 27, 2023
Buckingham also objected to the federal government’s prioritization of mussels over the victims of illegal immigration.
In a predictable move by the Biden Administration, mussels are deemed a higher priority than the children and drugs being trafficked across our border. https://t.co/tHSpNFqQpc
— Dawn Buckingham (@DrBuckinghamTX) July 31, 2023
U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, whose district includes a large area of western Texas, also pointed to the conservation action regarding the mussels as suspicious.
“While Biden has failed to use federal powers to secure the border, he has no problem weaponizing the government to prevent states from doing so in his absence,” Arrington said in a news release.
“Where was Biden’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s concerns when millions of migrants trampled the mussel’s ‘critical habitat’ while illegally crossing the Rio Grande? Clearly, Biden is more concerned about disrupting the habitat of the Mexican mussels than disrupting the operations of Mexican cartels who are destroying the lives of Americans and migrants alike.
“Governor Abbott has the constitutional authority to secure the border and protect his citizens. He should pay no attention to Biden’s shell game.”
On Tuesday, Abbott is set to visit Eagle Pass, one of the Texas cities hardest hit by illegal immigration.
Gov. Greg Abbott is set to visit Eagle Pass tomorrow alongside 4 other Republican governors , this comes as the DOJ has filed a lawsuit against Texas for the marine buoys placed in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass. Texas has spent over 5 billion dollars since the Launch of Operation… pic.twitter.com/BRly8IKTZq
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) August 21, 2023
The first sets of the buoys were deployed near Eagle Pass.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
