US Department of Justice Warns Texas Floating Border Barriers Are Illegal

“The actions of the State of Texas violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, pose serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the performance of official federal government duties,” the prosecutor said in a letter to senior Texas officials.

According to the letter sent to Gov. Gregg Abbott and the acting Texas Attorney General, the plastic buoys placed in the river near the town of Eagle Pass earlier this month constitute an illegal obstruction. If Texas does not remove the large plastic handcuffs, legal action may follow.

In response to the Justice Department’s warning, Abbott tweeted Friday that the state has the right to guard the border with Mexico. “We’ll see you in court,” the Texas governor said.

Republican Abbott, who blames Democratic President Joe Biden for the situation along the 2,000-mile border between the United States and Mexico, has taken several steps in recent years to deter migrants from crossing illegally. For example, he deployed thousands of National Guard troops to guard the border. Since last year, he has also regularly sent migrants by bus to other parts of the United States, which has been strongly condemned by human rights organizations.