Justice Department sues Texas over floating barrier in Rio Grande River
The Justice Department on Monday sued the state of Texas in a suit seeking to compel Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to remove a barrier in the Rio Grande River designed to block migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
“We allege that Texas has flouted federal law by installing a barrier in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal authorization,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement announcing the suit.
“This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns,” she said, adding that the barrier has prompted protests and “risks damaging U.S. foreign policy.”
The barrier, roughly 1,000 feet of buoys ranging from four to six feet in diameter, is the latest escalation from Texas, which also installed razor wire near the border and is among several states that have bussed migrants to left-leaning cities.
In anticipation of the suit, Abbott, who received a letter from the Justice Department Friday asking for the removal of the buoys, said in a Monday letter “Texas will see you in court.”
The suit argues the buoys are a violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which prohibits unauthorized barriers in any navigable waters.
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