In a divided 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court granted an emergency appeal from the Biden administration, allowing Border Patrol agents to cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border. The concertina wire spans approximately 30 miles along the Rio Grande near the border city of Eagle Pass, and is part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott's broader fight with the administration over immigration enforcement. Abbott has also authorized the installation of floating barriers in the Rio Grande and allowed troopers to arrest and jail thousands of migrants on trespassing charges.

The Biden administration has been in an escalating standoff with Texas over these measures and had objected to an appellate ruling in favor of the state. The administration argues that the wire impedes Border Patrol agents from reaching migrants as they cross the river, and that federal immigration law trumps Texas' efforts to stem the flow of migrants into the country. On the other hand, Texas officials have argued that federal agents cut the wire to help groups crossing illegally through the river before taking them in for processing.

A federal appeals court had previously forced federal agents to stop cutting the concertina wire, but the Supreme Court's decision now allows them to resume. The court's order did not provide any explanation for the justices' votes.

The legal battles between Texas and the Biden administration over border policy have been intensifying. Texas recently used National Guard soldiers to take control of a public park in Eagle Pass that the Border Patrol had been using to hold and inspect migrants. The state has also set up razor wire in this area, blocking federal agents from accessing it to process migrants. Texas has defied a demand from the Department of Homeland Security to stop blocking Border Patrol agents from the park, leading the DHS to consider potential legal action against the state.

Overall, the Supreme Court's decision to allow the removal of the razor wire is a temporary victory for the Biden administration in its ongoing dispute with Texas over border security. The legal battles between the two parties continue, with both sides arguing for their respective positions on immigration enforcement.