Washington, US

In an ongoing clash between Texas state authorities and the US federal government, the country's Supreme Court, in a narrow 5-4 decision, has temporarily allowed Border Patrol agents to cut or remove razor-wire fencing strategically placed by Texas officials along a portion of the state's border with Mexico. The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, responsible for the disputed interim ruling, is scheduled to hear arguments on February 7 regarding whether Border Patrol agents breached Texas law.

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This move was part of Texas's Operation Lone Star, which involved various deterrent measures, including the state's National Guard deployment and the controversial floating barrier over the Rio Grande.

The decision came in response to a request from President Joe Biden's administration, seeking to pause a lower court's ruling that had temporarily blocked federal agents from removing the fencing. 

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, along with three liberal justices, formed the majority. Meanwhile, conservative Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented against the ruling which allowed fencing removal.  

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Texas had filed a lawsuit in October 2023, accusing the Biden administration of intensifying practices that damaged strategically placed fencing on private land. Following this, the state was able to get an emergency restraining order from a federal judge, resulting in the termination of actions by federal agents. 

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, after the ruling said, “The Supreme Court’s temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America." 

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“The destruction of Texas’s border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state’s sovereignty," he added. 

A White House spokesperson, while reacting to the decision, said, "Ultimately, we need adequate resources and policy changes to address our broken immigration system... That is why he (Biden) is working to find a bipartisan agreement with Congress that includes additional resources and meaningful policy reforms." 

(With inputs from agencies)