Abbott's Plan To Drown Refugees As A Deterrent For Seeking Asylum

Governor Abbott's new motto: If I can't bus them out, I'll drown them out.

During the Trump administration, the orange one signed an executive order to take children away from their parents if they showed up at the border asking for asylum. The rationale behind Trump’s cruel family separation policy was that if immigrants believed they would be separated from their children if caught, they might be less likely to come to America and ask for refuge.

Under that ruthless policy, over five thousand children were taken away from their parents. And while many have been returned, hundreds were lost in the system, never to be seen or heard from again.

In the end, research showed that both family detention and family separation policies have not deterred families from coming to the United States.

Because of this policy, the saying, “cruelty is the point,” became a common phrase when speaking of GOP policy. Greg Abbott’s latest political stunt is no different.

This week, Greg Abbott installed a floating wall across the Rio Grande River with netting intended to snag and drown border-crossers.

I wish I could tell you that this was just hyperbole, but in a recent Wallstreet Journal article, Greg Abbott and DPS Director Steve McGraw were quoted saying, “The hope is that the possibility of death will deter people from trying to cross the river.”

The willingness of Abbott and Texas Republicans to drown human beings is one more act of extreme cruelty in their ongoing campaign against immigrants and asylum seekers. This blatant disregard for human life and dignity is a disturbing reflection of the GOP’s dehumanizing ideology.

The installation of a floating wall with the intention to cause harm and potentially lead to fatalities is not only morally reprehensible but also legally questionable. Such actions undermine the principles of humanitarianism and the international obligations that the United States has committed to regarding the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

Abbott's approach perpetuates a cycle of cruelty and suffering. The majority of individuals seeking refuge in the United States are fleeing violence, persecution, and dire circumstances in their home countries. They are desperate for safety and a chance at a better life for themselves and their families. Yet, Abbott’s response is the threat of death.

Will the so-called pro-life, Christian GOP just stand by and watch?

That’s a rhetorical question since we all know the answer. Whether Republicans believe or not that there should be a barrier that prevents asylum seekers from entering America, there is no basis for installing anything intended to “snag and drown border crossers.”

While human life is the most substantial cost of Abbott’s latest stunt, this floating wall will also trap debris and alter river flow. Wildlife will also be snagged and killed by these buoys.

The worse thing is that Abbott is well aware of the threat posed to refugees by this floating wall and is still doing it anyway. He is building something he knows will kill people and is doing it anyway. It’s inhumane and barbaric.

Since the end of Title 42, and because they stop counting recidivism as new encounters, border crossings are down 70%. Yet, Abbott and the GOP are still using fear-mongering about migrants and employing tactics to inflict harm on refugees.

Abbott and his sycophants know the danger they are putting people in. He acknowledged it in the WSJ quote.

The urgent question remains: What will happen when people drown as a result of this net and snag barrier? Will Abbott be held accountable for his actions? It is crucial for the Biden Administration and the Department of Justice to address this matter immediately. The lives and well-being of countless individuals are at stake.