Two bodies found along barrier of buoys installed by Texas authorities in the Rio Grande
The Mexican foreign ministry announced last Wednesday that an unidentified body had been found stuck in the buoys installed by Governor Abbott’s administration in the Rio Grande along the Texas-Mexico border. The buoy barriers were placed in the river to deter migrants from crossing the river into the U.S. Just a few hours after finding the body, Mexican authorities found a second body in the river about 5 kilometers away. Regarding the first body found in the buoys, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said in a statement Thursday that as of now, “preliminary information suggests this individual drowned upstream from the marine barrier and floated into the buoys.”
The Mexican government has criticized the placement of the buoys along the border, stating that it is a violation of international law and that it has a significant impact on human rights and the safety of all migrants.
We Welcome is sending a petition to Governor Abbott on Wednesday, August 9, calling on him to treat all migrants with dignity and to respect national and international laws. Learn more on our website and sign the petition today!
Federal appeals court keeps the Biden administration’s asylum restrictions in place for now
A federal appeals court panel approved an emergency request made by the Biden administration on Thursday, keeping the current asylum restrictions in place while the legal battle over the legality of the policy continues. On July 25, U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tigar blocked a new Biden administration rule limiting asylum and originally stayed the rule for 14 days, to take effect on August 8.
The appeals court panel approval received a 2-1 vote. The two judges who made the ruling ordered that the appeal be expedited and the case be ready to be heard by late September. At issue is Judge Jon Tigar’s concern that the new rule set in place by the administration is contrary to the asylum policy established by Congress.