Federal government to sue Texas governor for erecting barrier in river

WASHINGTON – The U.S. federal government has asked Texas Governor Greg Abbot to remove a floating barrier that was installed in the Rio Grande River along the border with Mexico.

The barrier was erected to prevent immigrants from entering the U.S. from Mexico.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has threatened the governor with a lawsuit if he does not order the barrier removed. Abbott has defended the barrier because it is necessary to protect the border from illegal immigration.

However, the Justice Department pointed out that the barrier was not approved by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Justice Department has given Abbott until Monday to remove the barrier or face legal action.

In a letter addressed to Abbott and Texas Interim Attorney General Angela Colmenero, the DOJ said the state’s actions “violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties.”

In addition to the floating barrier, Abbott has also deployed police officers and National Guard members to the border.

Texas police had also been ordered to push migrant children back into the river. Among them were nursing infants and a four-year-old girl suffering from heat exhaustion.

It was also revealed that police officers were instructed not to give water to asylum seekers amid a devastating heat wave.

On June 30, a pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage after getting caught in barbed wire. A teenager broke his leg after getting tangled in the wire.