Justice Department Warns Texas Officials to Remove Unauthorized Floating Border Barriers or Face Legal Action

The Department of Justice has issued a warning to Texas officials that the federal government will take legal action if the state does not remove its recently installed floating border barriers in the Rio Grande River.

In a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the state’s interim attorney general, two Justice Department lawyers said the barriers violate federal law, threaten to impede the work of federal law enforcement and create “serious risks” to public safety and the environment.

The barriers, which are orange buoys with nets beneath them, were set up in the river to make it harder for migrants to swim or wade across. However, the Justice Department has raised humanitarian concerns about the barriers, noting that they have not been authorized by the federal government.

The situation has been further complicated by reports that a Texas state trooper encountered a woman having a miscarriage who was trapped in the barrier. The trooper also said that officials were told to push migrants into the river and deny them water.

The Justice Department has given Texas officials until the end of the month to remove the barriers or face legal action. It is unclear how the state will respond, but the issue is likely to be closely watched by both sides of the immigration debate.