(ConservativeInsider.org) – President Joe Biden’s Justice Department has stated its intent to file legal action against the state of Texas for its use of floating barriers in the middle of the Rio Grande river as a deterrent against illegal immigration.
The Justice Department claims the usage of floating barriers is a violation of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which it claims prohibits obstructions that would inhibit navigation in waters of the United States without seeking permission from the federal government. The DOJ is also concerned about public safety and humanitarian issues that may arise from using the barriers, as migrants who attempt to cross the Rio Grande would be blocked by the floating barriers and might be unable to make it back to the Mexican side of the river. They have also claimed the barriers may harm or interfere with wildlife within the river.
According to the Biden Administration, in the week since the floating barriers were placed in the river and razor wire placed along the shore, the US Border Patrol has encountered over a dozen injured or dead migrants, including infants.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, has pushed back strongly against the claims of the Biden Administration, saying on social media “Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border.” Gov. Abbott has been strengthening the Texas border by running Operation Lone Star, spending billions to secure the 1,200-mile border of Texas that is vulnerable to illegal immigration. The buoy barrier only covers a small portion of the Rio Grande, approximately 1,000 feet, but Abbott has stated that if the floating barrier is successful at deterring illegal immigration, he would be willing to extend the buoys throughout the Rio Grande.
The buoys are only one part of Gov. Abbott’s feud with President Biden over border control issues. Abbott has also sent thousands of migrants to cities run by Democrats as well as having adult migrants arrested on trespassing charges.
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