The US Department of Justice is suing the state of Texas over its use of floating barriers in the Rio Grande. Gov. Greg Abbott has argued the barriers are intended to deter migrants from crossing into the state from Mexico. The Justice Department is seeking an injunction to bar Texas from building additional barriers. The lawsuit comes after Abbott said earlier Monday that he would not be order the floating barriers to be removed in defiance of a Justice Department request. The showdown between Abbott and the federal government comes as Texas treatment of migrants who attempt to cross into the US illegally faces increased scrutiny. Texas is already facing a lawsuit against its installation of a marine floating barrier. The owner of a Texas canoe and kayaking company filed the lawsuit earlier this month on the same day that Texas started deploying buoys for the barrier. A Homeland Security official told last week that Abbotts moves are making our job harder while disturbing images of migrants with injuries and troubling reports of Texas troops pushing migrants back to Mexico have drawn criticism from the White House and scores of Democratic lawmakers. The dispute is separate from the ongoing assessment of mistreatment of migrants which the Justice Department described as troubling reports. The Texas Department of Public Safety has received several additional complaints from the inspector general for the Department of Safety about the treatment of migrant personnel on the front lines at the border. Among the complaints are reports that Texas troopers were ordered not to push back migrants into the Rio. Grande and that they were told not to give them water. The governor has denied that any orders have been given that would compromise the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally. The Republican governor pushed back on those demands saying I have asserted Texass sovereign interest in protecting her borders. I have done so in my role as the commanderinchief of our States militia under Article IV of the Texas Constitution. Texas will fully utilize its constitutional authority to deal with the crisis you have caused Abbott wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden following last weeks DOJ request to remove the barriers. He added Texas will see you in court Mr. President. Later Monday White House press secretary Karine JeanPierre repeatedly slammed Abbott for what she called dangerous and unlawful actions. Hes literally operating in bad faith. Hes just not she said. The one person that is sowing chaos is Governor Abbott. Thats where he continues to do political stunts in an inhumane way. We actually saw the presidents plan working and what you see the governor doing isdanger and unlawful JeanPierre told reporters on Monday. Its actually hurting the process. Its hurting theprocess of what were trying to do. This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns. It also risks damaging US foreign policy. The floating barrier is based on a clause in federal law that prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States and further prohibits building any structure in such waters without authorization from the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is also based on the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act by building a structure in US water without permission.
U.S. Justice Department sues to force Texas to remove floating barriers in Rio Grande. Justice Dept. sues Texas to force the removal of floating barriers on the Rio Grande River.
