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A federal appellate court has issued a ruling that temporarily halts the federal government’s removal of razor wire barriers at the Texas border.

As stated in their ruling, the court’s order forbids the federal government from interfering with Texas’s concertina wire fence near Eagle Pass, Texas, as outlined in the state’s complaint. This legal battle began after Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, initiated the installation of terrestrial and floating razor wire barriers in the Rio Grande under Operation Lone Star in September.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, saying, “I am very pleased the appellate court has forbidden federal agents sent by the Biden administration from destroying our concertina wire fences. Given the ongoing disaster at the southern border due to the federal government’s intentional actions, more than ever it is necessary to take every step we can to hold the line.” Paxton also accused President Biden of adopting an “open border policy.”

This all comes after a federal appellate judge had previously agreed with the federal government’s demand for Texas to remove the barriers, citing the state’s inability to usurp federal authority over border enforcement.