The DOJ has notified Texas Governor Greg Abbott that the state of Texas may be facing a lawsuit. The newly added floating border barrier, situated in the Rio Grande, is being called “unlawful.”
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Jaime Esparza and Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim sent the notice to Abbott claiming the floating buoy border was installed illegally. Abbott has clarified that the DOJs threat isn’t phasing him via tweet, “We will see you in court.”
Through #OperationLoneStar, @TxDPS, @TXMilitary, and Texas law enforcement will continue to combat the humanitarian crisis at our southern border.https://t.co/AIdqDpzK1b
— Gov. Greg Abbott (@GovAbbott) July 21, 2023
The floating buoy border was installed near Eagle Pass, Texas. The letter states that the buoy barrier was installed without approval by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It also claims that the 1,000-foot wall anchored to the bottom of the riverbed violates the Rivers and Harbors Act by creating a navigation hazard.
Abbot said the state of Texas was only acting within its rights and emphasized that it has the authority to defend the Texas-Mexico border. President Joe Bidens Administration told Gov. Greg Abbot that installing the barrier was “unlawful.” A narrative is being pushed, suggesting the barrier is causing injuries to migrants.
The buoy barrier is a response to the rising border crossing that Biden and his administration are ignoring. Abbot tweeted that President Biden’s refusal to prioritize border security encourages migrants to “risk their lives crossing illegally through the Rio Grande, instead of safely and legally over a bridge.”
The letter from the DOJ reads, “The floating barrier poses a risk to navigation, as well as public safety, in the Rio Grande River, and it presents humanitarian concerns.” It also mentions a potential lawsuit if the floating barriers are not removed.
The floating buoy barriers in the Rio Grande are an element of Abbot’s Operation Lone Star, designed to secure the state’s 1,200-mile border shared with Mexico. The goal is to decrease illegal entry into Texas through Mexico, resulting in fewer drugs, guns, and criminals entering the state.
The Governor’s press release page stated that his administration is “Continuing to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.”
Abbot also released a joint statement regarding Operation Lone Star, “No orders or directions have been given under Operation Lone Star that would compromise the lives of those attempting to cross the border illegally.”
The website includes statistics on the hundreds of thousands of apprehensions and arrests the operation has seen since its launch in March 2021. Operation Lone Star has resulted in over 394,200 apprehensions, 31,300 criminal arrests, and 29,100 felony charges reported.
