US files lawsuit against its own state

Texas: The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against its own state, Texas, demanding the removal of a floating barrier on the Rio Grande.

Governor Greg Abbott of Texas had previously appealed to remove this 305-meter (1,000-foot) long barrier in the Rio Grande, which he regarded as a friendly gesture.

 However, after the appeal was rejected, the lawsuit was initiated.

Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta stated in a statement on Monday, "We allege that Texas is in violation of federal law by erecting barriers in the Rio Grande without obtaining the required federal permits."

Gupta further accused the floating barrier of posing a threat to US foreign policy and acting as an obstruction to navigation.

Eagle Pass, the name of this floating barrier, is a series of orange-colored buoys anchored off the shores of the Rio Grande in Texas.

The move by the Republican Governor of Texas is part of the latest efforts between the US and Mexico to strengthen the border at the federal level, as they view federal immigration policies as weak.

The legal action on the floating barriers is based on a provision of federal law that "prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of the waters of the United States and further prohibits the construction of any such structure in the navigable waters of the United States without the permission of the US Army Corps of Engineers."

Governor Abbott asserted, "The truth of this matter is that they are using some ambiguous law and trying to stop us from securing our borders. This is not against any law."

The dispute between Abbott and the federal government is centered on the increased scrutiny over the treatment of unauthorized immigrants attempting to enter the US from Texas.

On Thursday, the Department of Justice informed Texas that it intends to take legal action against the floating barriers in the Rio Grande as part of its state's operation to conduct legal actions against floating barriers in the Rio Grande, Texas-Mexico border.