The United States government informed the state of Texas in the last few hours of its intention to file a legal action against the placement of floating barriers that began to be installed in the river that divides the border with Mexico to prevent the passage of migrants.
Specifically, the Department of Justice sent the letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the installation of a wire fence and a barrier of giant buoys in the Rio Grande, CNN reported today.
“The actions of the State of Texas 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,” the letter explained.
The text cites that there is a law that “prohibits the creation of any obstruction to the navigable capacity of the waters of the United States, and also prohibits the construction of any structure in said waters without the authorization of the Corps of Engineers of the Army of the United States”.
This is separate from the ongoing assessment of migrant mistreatment, which the Justice Department described as “troubling reports.”
“Texas has the sovereign authority to defend our border, under the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Texas,” Abbott responded on his Twitter account.
The Republican governor added that he sent “numerous letters” to the Joe Biden government, including one that he personally delivered to the president, to defend the state’s position.
The Government of Mexico issued a formal protest against the White House last week, arguing that the floating barrier is a violation of bilateral treaties.
Mexico denounces that its installation is a violation of article 17 of the International Water Treaty of 1944, which stipulates the free use of the international riverbed for the discharge of water or other surpluses, as well as the Boundary Treaty of 1970.
Last May, before the end of the immigration measure known as Title 42, the governor of Texas announced the beginning of the placement of giant spherical orange buoys to build a floating barrier on the Rio Grande.
Two weeks ago, the state authorities reported that they began to install a “marine barrier” as part of the so-called Operation Lone Star, in reference to the Texas flag commanded by the Republican Party.
The buoys have different heights, but most are about 1.2 meters, and are anchored to the bottom of the river.
The director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Steven McCraw, stressed that the possible risk with the installation of these buoys was evaluated: “We want to prevent people from being injured, to prevent drowning.”
But the president of the NGO Texas Civil Rights Project, Rochelle Garza, warned that this measure only adds another risk to the crossing.
Source: Ambito
