The Department of Justice plans to sue Texas over the state’s construction of floating devices in the Rio Grande River intended to obstruct the path of illegal migrants from easily entering the country from the Southern border.
“We write to inform you…that the United States intends to file [a] legal action in relation to the State of Texas’s unlawful construction of a floating barrier in the Rio Grande River,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim and U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza wrote in a Thursday letter to Governor Greg Abbott and Interim Attorney General Angela Colmenero.
“The State of Texas’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,” the note, first obtained by NBC News on Friday, stated. If Texas fails to “expeditiously remove” the structure by 2:00 p.m. “the United States intends to file legal action.”