Today, following claims that buoy barriers and concertina wire are designed to “maim or kill” illegal immigrants, Distinguished Senior Fellow for Border Security Rodney Scott released the following statement:
“During my time as Border Patrol Chief, we tested several variations of buoy barrier features, including what some refer to as a “saw blade.” This classification is inaccurate, and designed to hide the true purpose of the barriers, which is to save migrant lives.
“The metal disc on the buoy barrier system deployed by Texas is actually a passive radial disc, strictly designed to be an anti-climb deterrent. Border Patrol personnel tested the barriers, and the disks, personally and determined that the blades would make climbers uncomfortable, but would not break the skin or injure a person.
“Furthermore, the mislabeling of the concertina wire deployed by Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety as “razor wire,” designed specifically to cause harm, is pure propaganda. Concertina wire, designed differently than razor wire, is designed solely for use as an obstacle, to deter migrants rather than cause them harm.
“Claims that the metal disks are blades designed to maim and kill illegal immigrants are pure fiction, as are claims made by House Democrats that the border is secure. Governor Abbott is taking necessary steps to secure the border and save lives, including the deployment of a buoy barrier system.”