What is happening with dangerous border buoys in Brownsville, TX?

Posted bybekah hinojosaPosted inFrom the Blog

By: Bekah Hinojosa

Since January 2026, contractors with the Department of Homeland Security have installed 17 miles of border buoys in the Rio Grande along Brownsville, TX. The buoys were designed to prevent people from crossing the river, but could harm or kill people. Border buoys in Brownsville are already building up silt in the river. Rocks, sticks, and debris are piling up under the buoys, and buoy segments are scraping the bottom of the river. Border Buoys in the Brownsville area are a ticking time bomb for a flooding and ecological disaster. Sign our letter urging officials to remove the border buoys: bit.ly/stopbuoys

Photos Diary: Border Barrier Buoys in the Rio Grande along Brownsville, TX, July 11, 2026

Border buoy in segments separated by a waterfall in the Rio Grande. Border buoys in Brownsville are not in one continuous piece, and don’t appear to be anchored.
Rocks, sticks, and debris are already accumulating underneath segments of border buoys.
Border buoy is stuck on top of accumulated silt and mud in the Rio Grande and possibly disrupting the river flow.
Border buoy is scraping the riverbed, and chunks of buoy debris are falling off into the river.
Border buoy that appears to be drifting towards the river bank on the U.S. side.