Photo: SUZANNE CORDEIRO / AFP / Getty Images
Per court order, the floating barrier Texas placed in the Rio Grande last year to deter illegal immigration is allowed to stay put. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals handed down the ruling on Tuesday, striking down a lower court's decision. Texas erected the barrier near Eagle Pass just over a year ago as part of Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star border security initiative. The federal government sued Texas as a result. The lawsuit will continue in district court, which will rule on the merits of the federal government's case.