Activists celebrate border razor wire take down in Texas but doubts remain about timing of the decision

The Texas National Guard began removing portions of razor wire installed on the border between the Texan city of El Paso and the Mexican city of Ciudad Juárez, according to Border Report.

Back in January, the Supreme Court demanded the removal of the barbed wire and blades, allowing Border Patrol agents to resume cutting, alleging that the Justice Department had argued the barrier impedes the U.S. government's ability to patrol the border, including coming to the aid of migrants in need of help.

However, months passed by without any action from Texas Governor Greg Abbott. That is until this weekend when Border Report cameras reported several large piles of worn barbwire on that mile-long stretch of the river, overlooking Juarez, Mexico.

Even though it was not immediately clear why the barrier came down, any chance of the Texas governor softening his stance about migration seems off the table as last week he tweeted pictures of welders with a caption that read: "Texas National Guard soldiers construct barriers that will be placed along the border in El Paso," and "Texas continues to use all possible strategies to deter & repel illegal entry into our state."

As reported by La Opinión, Father Juan Carlos López of the Diocese of Ciudad Juárez, raised concerns about the timing:

"It shouldn't have been there. It's inhumane treatment toward migrants. Now, to take it away, it should have been done from the start because it was not appropriate to treat migrants that way; some also will see it as an easy way to cross. That will motivate more migrants to move toward that section of the U.S. border."

The wire fence began as a simple chain-link fence in early 2023. It immediately reduced border crossings in the area and displaced people to walk several miles east in search of a place they could ford the river.