A federal appeals court ruled on Wednesday to prevent the federal government from removing a razor wire fence that Texas had installed along the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass to deter illegal immigration.
The decision, which sparked criticism from activists, came just hours before Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum told President-elect Donald Trump that immigrants heading to the U.S. are being “taken care of” in Mexico.
Texas had placed over 29 miles of razor wire in the Eagle Pass area by September. Attorney General Ken Paxton then filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration after Border Patrol agents allegedly cut the wire, destroying state property.
On Wednesday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans issued a 2-1 ruling, overturning a lower court’s decision and granting Texas a limited preliminary injunction against the federal government.
“It was shocking to me that the federal government would go out of their way to cut razor wire to allow illegals to cross when we’re just trying to protect our own land,” Paxton said during a Newsmax appearance. “This wasn’t their land. This was our land, our private property. It had nothing to do with the federal government. So this is a good win for Texas, a good win for the country, that this court recognized our ability to protect our land.”
Despite the legal dispute, Texas continued its installation of razor wire in Eagle Pass, including the state’s takeover of Shelby Park earlier this year, which went against the city’s wishes.
“We continue adding more razor wire border barrier,” Gov. Greg Abbott wrote on X following the appellate court’s decision.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amerika Garcia Grewal, an organizer with the Eagle Pass Border Coalition, criticized the ruling, calling the razor wire “a tool of war, not a humane border control measure.”
“The long-term implications of this decision are dire,” Garcia said. “It sets a dangerous precedent for using excessive force and disregarding human rights. We need to move towards a more humane and effective approach to border management.”
The ruling arrived amid a cooling of tensions between Trump and Sheinbaum over the possibility of a tariff war. Trump had threatened a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico if officials didn’t stop the flow of drugs, especially fentanyl, and undocumented migrants—though migrant apprehensions have dropped this year. Sheinbaum warned of retaliatory tariffs if Trump followed through on his threat.
Trump and Sheinbaum spoke on Wednesday, both leaders confirmed on social media, discussing how to prevent migrants from reaching the U.S.-Mexico border and how to reduce fentanyl consumption in the United States.
“I had an excellent conversation with President Donald Trump,” Sheinbaum wrote on X. “We discussed Mexico’s strategy on the migration phenomenon and I shared that caravans are not arriving at the northern border because they are being taken care of in Mexico.”
Trump described the conversation as “wonderful” and “productive” in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.
“She has agreed to stop Migration through Mexico, and into the United States, effectively closing our Southern Border,” Trump said.
In a follow-up post, Trump declared, “Mexico will stop people from going to our Southern Border, effective immediately. THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARD STOPPING THE ILLEGAL INVASION OF THE USA. Thank you!!!”