WaPo: “The Biden administration is threatening to sue the state of Texas for placing floating border barriers in the middle of the Rio Grande, the latest sign of escalating tensions with federal officials over Gov. Greg Abbott’s crackdown on migrants.
Abbott (R) ordered the installation of a 1,000-foot chain of orange buoys in the river this month at a busy area for illegal crossings near Eagle Pass, Tex. State officials did not obtain permits to place the barriers in the international waterway, where construction is regulated by border treaties between the United States and Mexico.
The floating barriers “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,” wrote Assistant Attorney General Todd Kimm and Jaime Esparza, assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas, in a letter to Texas officials sent Thursday.
The Biden officials gave Texas until Monday afternoon to respond with a commitment to quickly remove the barriers. If they don’t, “the United States intends to file legal action,” the letter states.”