Trump Administration Seeks Floating Border Wall the rio grande river near a broken chain link fence
A portion of the Rio Grande River along the U.S.-Mexico border (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald via AP)
By Jeffrey Rodack | Friday, 14 August 2020 12:58 PM
The Trump administration is now looking at the possibility of using floating barriers to wall off waterways along the border with Mexico.
The Washington Post said the "Buoy Barrier System" is detailed in a federal contracting bulletin. Federal officials are asking for information from private firms capable of installing it to meet the requirements of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
According to the newspaper, the barriers would need to be able to prevent swimmers from climbing onto them.
The administration is requesting that the barriers also "include a component (such as an anti-dive mesh) that would impede incursions and/or breaching via underwater diving while minimizing debris buildup."
The barriers could prevent migrants from crossing waters along stretches of the Rio Grande, where it is problematic to construct steel barriers on the shoreline. The Post noted that there are certain times when there are spots shallow enough for people to walk through.
CBP spokesman John Mennell said the U.S. Border Patrol is seeking to "impede and deny illicit activity in waterways, including but not limited to rivers, lakes, and ponds …"
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has criticized a privately built border wall in South Texas that's showing signs of erosion months after going up.
Trump had said in July that it was "only done to make me look bad," even though the wall was built after a months-long campaign by his supporters.
Poster Comment:
With shifting sediments and changing water levels I am not sure they can work a viable option for a floating wall.