Texas Using Boats Lined Up on Rio Grande to Stop Flow of Migrants

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Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.

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Texas' Department of Public Safety (DPS) has moved a number of boats to the Rio Grande River, forming a blockade with the intention of stopping migrants from making their way to the U.S. by crossing the body of water.

On Sunday, DPS shared a video to its Twitter account stating the agency "enhanced operations" in the south Texas border city of La Joya to "stop the flow of migrants entering (Texas) illegally."

Border Report wrote that the Texas Game Warden and the Texas National Guard joined DPS in the blockade. It estimated that at least 17 boats were involved in the blockade.

The measure is a part of Republican Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, a mission that his office states is aimed to combat the "smuggling of people and drugs into Texas." In Operation Lone Star, DPS and the National Guard have joined forces to ramp up enforcement efforts.

Large Migration Surge Crosses Rio Grande Into
Border Report writes that at least 17 boats were seen in the river. Here, migrants cross the Rio Grande River near a temporary migrant camp under the international bridge on September 18 in Del Rio,... Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images

Part of the push under Operation Lone Star has been for DPS and the National Guard to arrest those who attempt to migrate north for criminal trespassing charges. Since this directive was implemented, some border communities have seen a major uptick in those being placed in their local jails.

Del Rio, Texas, has seen has over 1,400 arrests since the operation went into effect on November 7. Local officials said these arrests have led to some level of deterrence but has mostly they have put a strain on the community's jail.

"Since Operation Lone Star came in and started arresting all these individuals for human smuggling, now the county incurred a loss of revenue from the jail of almost a quarter-million dollars," Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez told KXAN-TV, the NBC affiliate in Austin.

The boat blockade was also met with concern. Scott Nicol, the former head the Sierra Club's Borderlands Campaign, tweeted that the action was "an absolute waste of resources," believing it to be "another election stunt from Governor Abbott that Texans' taxes have to pay for."

Courtesy of @TxDPS

In contrast, Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas voiced his support for the actions, expressing his gratitude for Texans who "are stepping up to the plate to protect our state" in a tweet thanking DPS and the National Guard.

Border Report writes that the La Joya area has "been heavily used by" human smugglers to bring migrants into South Texas. Border Patrol's most recent migrant encounter statistics for the month of October report that over 45,000 people crossed through the Rio Grande Valley sector where La Joya sits, more than any other sector.

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About the writer

Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within the politics concentration at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism where he serves as the school's student representative in the University Senate and the Student Leadership Advisory Council of the Columbia Alumni Association.

Previously, he served as Newsweek's congressional correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill and the campaign trail. Over his tenure with Newsweek, Alex has covered the speakership of Mike Johnson, the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the midterm elections of 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and other key congressional stories of the Biden presidency.

Alex additionally provides coverage of Newsweek ownership and has produced investigative reporting on legal troubles facing the Olivet Assembly, a religious entity to which Newsweek's two owners formerly held ties.

Prior to covering Congress, Alex reported on matters of U.S. national security, holding press credentials for both the U.S. Capitol and the Department of Defense. Before joining Newsweek, Alex wrote for The American Prospect, Vice News, WDIV-TV NBC Local 4 News in Detroit, and other regional outlets.

His entry into the media industry began at Syracuse University where he majored in magazine journalism and produced award-winning coverage of the U.S.-Mexico border. At Syracuse, Alex also completed majors in policy studies as well as citizenship & civic engagement and was recognized as a Remembrance Scholar, one of the university's highest honors.

Alex was selected by the National Press Foundation to serve as a Paul Miller Washington Reporting fellow in 2024. He holds memberships with the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and the Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) organization.

Contact Alex with tips and feedback at a.rouhandeh@newsweek.com, and stay updated on his reporting by following him on social media at @AlexRouhandeh.

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Alex J. Rouhandeh serves as a special correspondent for Newsweek and is currently working toward his Master of Arts within ... Read more