Lines in the Sand

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Mexico filed a diplomatic complaint to the United States this week to protest Texas’ decision to deploy floating barriers on the Rio Grande River in a bid to curb illegal migration, warning that such a move would violate treaties on boundaries and water, the Associated Press reported.

Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena announced that the government will send an inspection team to the Rio Grande to determine whether the floating buoys extend onto Mexico’s side of the border.

Bárcena said that if the buoys hinder the flow of water, it would violate the 1944 and 1970 treaties that require the river to remain unobstructed. She also complained about US efforts to put up barbed wire on a low-lying island in the river near Eagle Pass, Texas.

The floating barriers rolled out earlier this month are part of an effort by Texas to stop illegal migration via the border.

Migrant advocates warned that the barrier increases the risks of drowning in the river, while environmentalist groups questioned the impact on the waterway.