Biden Administration Files Lawsuit Against Texas Over Use of Floating Barriers in Rio Grande

The Biden administration has filed a lawsuit against the state of Texas over the use of floating barriers in the Rio Grande. The Justice Department has requested the court to direct Texas to remove the existing river buoys and to block the state from setting up any more.

In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a letter to the Biden administration, claiming that the state faces an “invasion” and that they have no choice but to take drastic measures to protect the border.

The nine-page lawsuit filed in the federal district court in Austin states that Texas officials were required to request and obtain permission from the federal government before assembling the barriers, which were put in place earlier this month. The lawsuit also argues that the buoys have endangered both migrants and Border Patrol agents.

The Biden administration has been vocal in its opposition to the barriers, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki saying that the administration was “deeply concerned” about the situation. She also noted that the administration was “working to ensure that the safety and security of our border is maintained in a way that is consistent with our values.”

The lawsuit is the latest in a series of clashes between the Biden administration and Texas over immigration policy. The two sides have been at odds over the administration’s efforts to roll back some of the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies, including the construction of a border wall. It remains to be seen how the court will rule on the case.