(San Antonio, Texas)—The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) applauded a federal judge’s decision today ordering Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to remove the dangerous buoys in the Rio Grande River that have injured many migrants and killed others.
“The buoys are a symbol of the hate-filled and inhumane policies Gov. Abbott has embraced as he continues to wage war on immigrants seeking to make better lives for themselves, as millions of other immigrants have done for hundreds of years in this country,” said Senior Texas Strategist Carolina Canizales. “This stretch of the beautiful Rio Grande River has been turned into a militarized zone and has wreaked havoc in the peaceful community of Eagle Pass.”
“We hope this ruling leads to the complete dismantling of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Abbott’s unconstitutional and racist law enforcement operation targeting migrants for arrest, jail, and deportation,” Canizales said. “Since OLS began in March 2021, Gov. Abbott has spent nearly $5.1 billion of state funds to criminalize and rapidly deport migrants, many of whom are seeking safety in the U.S. OLS violates the Constitution, promotes racial profiling, fuels the mass incarceration of people of color, and encourages white supremacy rhetoric that is harmful to ALL Texans.”
Since 2021, the ILRC has called on the Department of Justice to formally investigate OLS. The harms of OLS continue to increase against asylum seekers and Texans living in border communities. We continue to demand an end to OLS and to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) collaboration in this illegal and inhumane scheme. The Biden administration must stop using its resources to aid OLS, and, prevent individuals from accessing their right to asylum.
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The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit that works with immigrants, community organizations, legal professionals, and policy makers to build a democratic society that values diversity and the rights of all people. Through community education programs, legal training & technical assistance, and policy development & advocacy, the ILRC works to protect and defend the fundamental rights of immigrant families and communities.