Southwest
Texas slams Biden admin, promises tough border measures after SCOTUS razor wire ruling
Texas officials are vowing to maintain strict border security measures after the Supreme Court ruled border patrol officials could cut razor wire designed to deter illegal crossings – a move applauded by the Biden administration.
Lt. Chris Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety said the state, under Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, “will maintain its current posture in deterring illegal border crossings by utilizing effective border security measures.”
Texas authorities place razor wire in Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, defying a Biden administration order to end the state’s seizure of the area along the Rio Grande. (Matt Finn)
This includes, Olivarez said, reinforced concertina wire and anti-climb barriers along the Rio Grande.
Olivarez’s tweet comes a day after a 5-4 vote from the Supreme Court, clearing the way for Border Patrol agents to cut or clear out concertina wire that Texas has put along the banks of the Rio Grande to deter migrants from entering the U.S. illegally while the Fifth Circuit still has yet to rule on the case’s merits.
WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON TAKING DOWN BORDER RAZOR WIRE, SAYS AGENTS NEED ‘ACCESS’ TO PROCESS MIGRANTS
The Biden administration argued that the nearly 30 miles of wire, installed near Eagle Pass, had “prevented frontline personnel from performing vital federal functions and interfered with their ability to address urgent situations and enforce our laws.”
It dismissed the razor as “political stunts” that make it harder for frontline personnel to do their jobs.
Border patrol agents cut razor wire along the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, TX on September 27, 2023. Border crossings through Eagle Pass continues to strain law enforcement as an unprecedented number of migrants enter the United States each day. (Benjamin Lowy for Fox News Digital )
Olivarez said the logical concern “should be why the Federal Government continues to hinder Texas’ ability to protect its border, all while allowing for the exploitation, dangerous, and inhumane methods of permitting illegal immigrants, including children, to illegally cross a dangerous river where many have lost their lives.”
WEALTHY CHICAGO SUBURB PROPOSES ALLOWING RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP TO HOUSE MIGRANTS
“Texas is the only state using every strategy and resource to protect its sovereignty, combat criminal activity, and discourage illegal immigration,” he said.
Olivarez’s tweet got an endorsement from Gov. Abbott, who highlighted the message.
Earlier Tuesday, Gov. Abbott vowed that Texas “will not back down from our efforts to secure the border in Biden’s absence.”
The Republican governor had authorized the wire, one of a series of aggressive measures the three-term Republican has taken on the border in the name of curbing illegal crossings from Mexico.
The concertina wire stretches for roughly 30 miles near the border city of Eagle Pass, where earlier this month the Texas Military Department seized control of a city-owned park and began denying access to Border Patrol agents.
Eagle Park has become one of the busiest spots on the southern U.S. border for migrants illegally crossing from Mexico. Abbott has said Texas won’t allow Border Patrol agents into Shelby Park anymore, having expressed frustration over what he says are migrants illegally entering through Eagle Pass and then federal agents loading them onto buses.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
A hospital needs help identifying a male patient who was found injured and unconscious in downtown Los Angeles.
The man is believed to be in his 30s, according to the Los Angeles General Medical Center.
He was found injured on the ground on Omar Street and has been hospitalized since June 22.
He stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 176 pounds. He has brown eyes, dark brown hair and tattoos across his upper body.
He did not have any personal belongings to help staff identify him or contact loved ones. Workers did not disclose the nature of his injuries.
Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call clinical social worker Cesar Robles at 323-409-6885.
The public can also call the L.A. General Medical Center’s Department of Social Work at 323-409-5253 or, after hours from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., call 323-409-6883. On weekends, call 323-409-5254.
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