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NBC News reports:
The Justice Department on Monday filed a lawsuit against Texas for placing buoys in the Rio Grande as part of an effort by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to deter migrants from crossing into the United States.
The civil suit said Texas violated federal law by installing the barrier and asked a judge to order its removal. The lawsuit comes days after the Justice Department notified Abbott of the department’s intent to sue unless Texas acted to remove the buoys on Monday afternoon.
The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Abbott on Monday had sent a letter sent to President Joe Biden accusing him of attempting to hamstring his state’s “sovereign interest” in securing its border.
CNN reports:
In the lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in the Western District of Texas, the department alleges that Texas and Abbott, a Republican, violated the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act by building a structure in US water without permission from United States Army Corps of Engineers. The lawsuit further alleges that the floating barriers “constitute an unauthorized obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States.”
“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. “This floating barrier poses threats to navigation and public safety and presents humanitarian concerns. Additionally, the presence of the floating barrier has prompted diplomatic protests by Mexico and risks damaging US foreign policy.
BREAKING: Justice Dept. sues Texas over a floating barrier in the Rio Grande as part of an effort by Gov. Abbott to deter migrant crossings into the United States. https://t.co/kj4QA0hpNl
— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) July 24, 2023