The state of Texas is being sued by the US Department of Justice over its deployment of river barriers in the Rio Grande, which Governor Greg Abbott claims are meant to discourage migrants from entering the state from Mexico.
The Justice Department is requesting a court order compelling Texas to remove the existing barriers at its own expense and an injunction prohibiting the state from constructing new barriers in the river.
DOJ Claims Texas Violated Rivers and Harbors Act
The Department of Justice claims in the complaint that Texas and Republican Governor Greg Abbott broke the Rivers and Harbors Appropriations Act by erecting a structure in US water without first getting approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The US District Court for the Western District of Texas received the complaint. The confrontation between Abbott and the federal government occurs as attention on Texas’ handling of immigrants trying to enter the US illegally has grown.
Officials in the Biden administration have grown more worried in recent months about Abbott’s actions, which have hampered US Border Patrol operations in the area and endangered migrants.
The White House and other Democratic senators have criticized Abbott’s actions, and a Homeland Security official told CNN last week that Abbott’s actions are making our work harder.
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Legal Battle Looms Over Texas-Mexico Border Operations
The state of Texas is being sued by the US Department of Justice over its deployment of river barriers in the Rio Grande, which Governor Greg Abbott claims are meant to discourage migrants from entering the state from Mexico.
Disturbing pictures of injured migrants and alarming accounts of Texas forces driving people back to Mexico have also raised concerns.
According to knowledgeable sources and a letter acquired by CNN, the Justice Department informed Texas on Thursday that it intended to take legal action against the placement of the floating barriers in the Rio Grande as part of the state’s operation along the Texas-Mexico border.
According to the letter to Abbott, the Justice Department gave Texas until Monday at 2:00 PM ET to agree to the dismantling of the floating border obstacles or face legal action.
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