DOJ Threatens Texas With Legal Action Over Abbott's Inhumane Border Policies
The Department of Justice informed Texas Governor Greg Abbott that it intends to file legal action against the state of Texas for the placement of inhumane floating barriers and razor wire in the Rio Grande as part of the state’s policy to limit and deter migration across the southern border.
In its letter, the DOJ stated “The State of Texas’s actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties,” citing a clause in the law that “prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of waters of the United States, and further prohibits building any structure in such waters without authorization from the United States Army Corps of Engineers.”
In a statement Friday, White House spokesman Abdullah Hasan said “Governor Abbott’s dangerous and unlawful actions are undermining our effective border enforcement plan and making it hard for CBP to do their jobs of securing the border.”
Outrage over Abbott’s already atrocious border policies has intensified following a piece earlier this week from the Houston Chronicle detailing the casualties which have resulted from Abbott’s policies.
The article reported heartbreaking accounts of a pregnant woman found caught in razor wire having had a miscarriage, a four-year-old girl who passed out from heat exhaustion after she was pushed back by Texas National Guard, and a teenager who broke his leg trying to navigate the river having to be carried by his father.
Following the article more than 80 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to investigate Abbott’s “dangerous and cruel actions.”
While Democratic lawmakers look to protect migrants from inhumane practices at the border, Republicans seem more interested in playing games. Governors Greg Abbott and Ron DeSantis have not only signed dangerous anti-immigration policies, but both have also worked together to illegally traffic migrants to Democratic-led cities as a political stunt.
In response to the actions of the Texas Governor, Beto O’Rourke stated emphatically during a Friday interview on MSNBC that “Greg Abbott has blood on his hands” and that federal action is the only thing that can stop more senseless death at the border.