- Lawsuit heightens tensions over immigration enforcement
- Floating barrier at issue is at least 1,000 feet long
A string of buoys used as a border barrier on the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 13.
Photographer: Jordan Vonderhaar/BloombergThe Biden administration sued Texas on Monday over a floating barrier of buoys the state recently deployed in the Rio Grande, arguing that the border security measure violates federal law and was installed without authorization.
The lawsuit was filed after Republican Governor Greg Abbott refused to remove the river barrier at the request of the US Justice Department, an escalation of the ongoing dispute over immigration enforcement that has pit the Biden administration against GOP leaders of states along the US-Mexico border.